A Girl in the Egyptian Army
by Emmetje
Summary: When another war breaks out, the Pharaoh gives orders to recruit a man of every single family for his new army. But one young woman just can't see her father leave and joins the army in his place, disguised as a man. Follow her on her journey. Atem/Oc
1. Prologue

A Girl in the Egyptian Army

Prologue

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><p>This is the story of how I died.<p>

No, I'm just kidding. And don't worry. This is actually a very fun story. And the truth is, it is not even mine. This is the story about a girl named Amarra. And it all starts with the universe.

Now, once upon a time there was a power called the Phoenix that was flying through the universe, looking for a kind and gentle soul to rest down in.

A view times it did really rest down a small part of its power in a soul but they were never the right ones and it would always lead to death, pain and destruction.

Centuries passed and the Phoenix kept looking for the right soul. It never found it. And then, on one day, it heard a cry for help.

You see, there was this young woman who was pregnant. She had just turned seventeen and the young man she had loved and who the father of her child was, he was killed in a war. But she had already been eight months pregnant when that had happened.

So the young woman was already heartbroken by the fact that she had lost the man she loved but her pain didn't stop there. Because a view weeks before the baby was supposed to be born, the doctors told her that her baby had no longer a heartbeat.

That completely torn her apart so she begged to every God and everything in the whole universe, to help her and just let her baby live, no matter what. And it was the Phoenix who heard her and responded, as she sensed that the still unborn baby was meant for great things and had a pure, brave and loving soul.

It told her that it could save her baby and give it a heartbeat again but if it would do that, there would be consequences.

But the woman didn't care and just wanted her baby to live. And so the Phoenix rested its complete power in the soul of the baby that had yet to be born.

Three weeks later a healthy baby girl was born with fire red hair and emerald green eyes. I will give you a hint, that girl is Amarra.

The woman was happy, even though she was still sad about the loss of the love of her life. But with her sweet baby girl at her side, she was slowly getting back the joy in life and she even found a new sweet man, who was willing to act like the father of her baby.

And for a view small moments, everything was perfect.

And then that moment ended. It was as the Phoenix had warned the woman about, giving her baby girl back live wouldn't come without consequences.

An evil woman called Sacmis ruined their happiness. She had the power to control shadows and she lived of human energy, killing those humans in progress. And she had already hunted the Hostesses of the Phoenix for millennia.

She sneaked into the house of the woman, killed her and her new man and tried to kill the baby too but failed.

Two days later, a noble couple passed the small house and heard the baby cry. When they entered the house they found the man and the woman dead in their bed and the baby crying in her small crib.

They took her with them and raised her as their own. But although they tried hard, she was different and they couldn't change everything about her…

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><p><strong>Please let me know what you think about it.<strong>

**XxX Emmtje**


	2. Another War

**Hello, everyone.**

**Thank you so much for the reviews.**

**I got this idea when I was babysitting the six year old daughter of our neighbours.**

**Recently she has become a large fan of not only Disney but also of Yu-Gi-Oh!**

**And when I was babysitting her, she wanted to watch Mulan and when we're watching it and the part that Shang was training everyone was on, she suddenly said: "I bet Yami can do all of that too."**

**And then I suddenly had a light ball. **

**I hope you will all like this first chapter and please tell me what you think.**

**XxX Emmetje**

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><p>A Girl in the Egyptian Army<p>

Chapter 1

Another War

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><p>Soldiers were walking over the stone borders of the Egyptian empire. It was night and it was very silent. Almost too silent.<p>

The walls had been placed recently to defend the empire better when they were under attack. And they had not been built without some setback. But now they were standing, strong and well guarded.

One of the guards was just doing his nightly round when a large bird flew against his head and stole the headpiece on his head. The soldier glanced at the bird whose big yellow eyes had an evil glow in them. It screeched and that screech was followed by a hook that was thrown up and got stuck behind one of the stones of the wall. And that one hook was followed by many more.

The soldier raised alarm immediately. "We are under attack! Light the signal!" He made a run to one of the towers which held the signal and succeeded just into reaching it without getting harmed.

He stumbled back on his feet and grabbed a torch that was hanging against one of the walls and turned around to light the signal, but stopped when another person jumped over the stone walls of the watchtower. His breathe caught in his throat when he saw that the person in front of him was none other then Anubis, God of the Death.

The bird landed on his shoulder and Anubis' dark eyes drilled themselves into the eyes of the soldier, making the man shiver in fright. But that was just for a moment because after that there came a strong determination in the eyes of the soldier and he threw the torch into the wood that started to burn immediately.

Anubis turned slowly around and glanced towards the other watch towers for a second, seeing that the signals there were also lit on fire, before turning back to the soldier again.

"Now everyone knows that you're here. Word will soon reach the Pharaoh and he will prepare for battle."

Anubis grinned. "Perfect. That's exactly what we wanted."

The soldier suddenly stiffened and his eyes widened in fear. Then his body started to tremble and after that he fell on the ground. This time his body was lifeless. Behind him, or where he had been standing, was standing a woman with a pale skin, black hair and even blacker eyes. She was wearing a black battle armour, made for her and her alone.

"We made the first move," said Anubis. "Now let's see what the Pharaoh does."

The woman grinned evilly. "It's predictable what he will do." She walked towards him and started over the protected border. "I'll soon have plaid my part in this deal. And when the Pharaoh is dead and you've rule over Egypt –" She turned around, giving him a dangerous look. "– do not forget your part in the deal."

Anubis grinned. "Don't worry, my Black Queen. I will keep to my part of the agreement if you keep to yours." He also turned around, now facing her. "Now, how about we start killing some Egyptian soldiers?"

The woman grinned devilishly. "I thought you would never ask."

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><p>Pharaoh Atemu was looking rather tired at his councillors. He had yet to reach the age of twenty two but had already fought twice as many wars in his four years of being Pharaoh as his father had in the forty-five years of ruling Egypt as a Pharaoh.<p>

His enemies never stopped coming. They always returned. If it wasn't the Thief King Bakura who was trying to steal the Millennium Items, then it was Anubis, God of the Death, who tried to destroy the world, starting with Egypt. And then you always had their hostile neighbours.

He signed, resting his chin on his hand while staring at his councillors. He wasn't really listening. He wasn't even paying attention, as a matter of fact.

He longed to get away from his life in the Palace. To just skip the boring councils and get some time off before another war would break out. He had yet to recover from his previous battle wounds.

The head of his councillors was Shimon and he had known him for already his whole life. Shimon had already been head of the councillors back when his father still had been Pharaoh and before that he had been one of the Guardians of the Millennium Items.

Shimon was, like always, standing beside Atemu's throne and gave the young Pharaoh a small poke against his arm as a signal that he should be paying attention. This only made Atemu sign again.

"Our borders are well protected," protested one of the councillors to something another had said. "There is no need to send even more men to protect them."

"It has been too long since a last attack. We should be cautious."

"If we send even more men to the borders, there are none here to protect the Palace or to fight when another war breaks out," said yet another councillor.

"But I'm telling you, they're planning something."

"The only one planning something here is you. What reasons do you have to fear an attack from our neighbours?"

Atemu signed yet again, shifting his position so he was leaning with his chin on his other hand. They were already talking about this subject for quite a while. He was slowly starting to lose them. If he hadn't already.

"Your Majesty." Atemu sat up normally when their attention shifted to him. "What is your opinion in this?"

"I agree that there is no immediate threat from our neighbours. I don't think more men will be necessary."

And with saying that, he finally ended that subject. The councillors changed to yet another subject, this time talking about an upcoming celebration that would be held in the Palace.

Atemu moved back into his previous position, leaning with his chin on his hand again, staring absently into the distance.

He was already Pharaoh for four years and he still wasn't used to the fact that even though he was the most powerful man in the country, he was also the one who had no freedom at all. Every single day looked the same and it was that he made very clear that he would fight his own battles or else that wouldn't even be the case.

His head shot up and he started shocked at his councillors, now very much awake and alert because of what they said. He just hoped that he had heard them wrong. "Please, could you repeat that?"

"You can not rule this country on your own, Your Highness. The people are fiercely loyal to you and that is not the problem. But what this country needs, what the people need and what perhaps you need too, Sire, is a Queen. A soft, loving, brave and kind Queen."

Both Atemu's eyebrows shot up. "You're telling me that I need to find a woman."

"You're already on the throne for four years, Your Majesty. It is time for you to marry," said another councillor. "There are enough wealthy princesses that…"

"Enough," interrupted Atemu. "Enough." All the men fell quite. "I do not wish to marry. And I do absolutely not wish to be told that I should marry."

"But, Sire, marrying would open so many doors. There would be things you should not have to worry about anymore and marrying a wealthy princess would not only mean more money but also more land…"

"I'm not going to marry anyone just because you councillors think that we need more money or even more land to rule over," snapped Atemu. "Leave." When they didn't move, the look in his eyes became dark and his face became angry. "Now!"

They quickly bowed and nearly ran out of the throne room, leaving only Atemu and Shimon there. The young Pharaoh signed and leaned back in his throne.

"My Pharaoh, with all do respect, but they were right about one thing."

Atemu signed, pressing a hand against his forehand. "And what might that be?"

"A Queen would be good for the empire and its people. A Queen would be good to the Palace too and if it's the right Queen, she would be good for you too."

Atemu shook softly his head, glancing up again. "I do not wish to marry, Shimon. That is just not a desire that is in my heart right now. It is neither something that's on my mind."

"I understand, Sire. But that doesn't change the fact that it would be good for many things."

"So what do you council me to do? Find the wealthiest and most obedient woman in whole Egypt and marry her for her money and her land?" He shook his head, loathing that idea. "I want to marry out of love and nothing else. Just like my parents."

"And I respect that completely. Everyone respects that. A Queen you married out of love would make everything so much brighter and would do so much more good then a Queen you married for her money."

"But you still want me to look for a woman that looks like a good potential wife."

"Looking is never wrong and you can learn to love someone. Sometimes it just needs time."

He bowed and left him too. And by doing so he didn't see that the young King shook his head in disgust.

A marriage for no other reason then to gain more wealth and more money was something he absolutely loathed, just like slavery. Yes, he was an odd Pharaoh.

He stood up and walked also out of the throne room and out of the Palace. The garden was one of his favourite spots to visit when he tried to relax and get his mind of things. His mother had once looked after them but after her death, no one had taken over her job and even though most flowers and trees were still there, the gardens were not as beautiful as they once had been.

With a sign, Atemu let himself sink unto a stone bench that was standing under a fruit tree. He leaned against the tree trunk while closing his eyes. He had so much on his mind and marrying wasn't something that he also wanted to have on his thoughts.

"Boo!"

Atemu smiled and opened one eye to see his oldest and closest friend hanging on one of the branches upside down in front of his face. "Hello, Mana."

"Oh!" she pouted. "I didn't even startle you!"

"Should you have?"

"Yes! You didn't know I was here and… Wait, you didn't know I was here, right?"

"I didn't have a clue."

"Then why didn't I startle you?"

"Because you trying to startle me isn't something out of the ordinary. I'm used to you sneaking up on me."

"But I was practising my new invisibility spell."

She looked so sad that it hadn't worked that it made Atemu smile slightly. "Cheer up, Mana. You might not have startled me but your invisibility spell works. I hadn't noticed you were hanging in that tree."

Her face cleared up, like a small child that was getting some candy. "You really didn't?" He shook his head. "Awesome! It really worked!"

Atemu laughed a little. Mana and he had grown up together. They were practical family. She was like his little sister that he always tried to protect, hated to see sad and he always trusted, no matter what.

She was also a Magician in study, learning how to use and control magic with the help of Mahad, one of Atemu's Priests and Guardian of the Millennium Ring. She would someday became also member of the Secret Council that protected the ruling Pharaoh.

"What's on your mind?" asked Mana while shifting her position like a little monkey. "You look troubled, even slightly disgusted. There isn't another war coming, right?"

"There's always another war coming, Mana," said Atemu, rather tired of that idea. "The question is when it will break out and who we will fight."

"Okay." She swung her legs back and forward. "I guess." Then she frowned. "On the other hand, wars aren't okay. They shouldn't be normal for us. So that's not okay. I guess."

Atemu smiled again. Mana was most of the times a scatter-brain. It was normal for her to forget her shoes or to forget to eat before she would go to her training. The latter would often lead to an angry Mahad, as magic needed a lot of energy. And her practising magic while being hungry led to spells that went wrong (like blowing up a vase while trying to make an apple float), complains and whining (like 'I'm hungry!' or 'I can't do this stupid spell!') and spells that didn't work at all.

But part of the reason that he cared so much for her was to the fact that she was so clumsy and such a scatter-brain.

"So what war is upon us this time? Who are we going to fight?"

"No war yet. But it will come. Sooner or later."

"And that has you so troubled?" Atemu shook his head. "Then what has?"

"The councillors think it's time for me to get married."

"What?" In her surprise, Mana let go of the branches and fell out of the tree. She landed on her buttocks on the ground and pulled a painful face while rubbing her backside.

"You alright?" asked Atemu, standing up and helping her back on her feet.

Mana pulled another painful face while pressing her hands against her back and stretching her muscles. "I guess I will survive." Then she leaned shocked closer to his face, which made him lean back a little. That was another thing she did quite often: invade your personal space. "Tell me I heard that wrong."

"What did you think you heard?"

"I think I heard you telling me that the councillors, who are complete morons, want you to get married."

"Preferred to some wealthy, snobby princess or lady with a high title to gain more money and more land. Yes, you heard that right."

"What?" yelled Mana again. "How can they even think about that? How do they get it in their thick heads…" She started to pace around. "They are complete idiots."

"Mana…"

"They can not make you do this."

"Mana…"

"I mean, you are the Pharaoh."

"Mana…"

"But still, forcing you to marry some brainless princess or snobby little lady that only cares for…"

"Mana!"

His friend stopped pacing around and glanced up at him with big innocent eyes. "Yes?"

"They want me to think about it. Nothing has been arranged yet."

"So that means you're not going to get married."

"I didn't say that." He signed and sat down on the stone bench again. "They think it's for the best of the people and the empire if I find myself a Queen."

Mana sat down beside him. "But you don't need a Queen. You're doing fine as you're right now. And you still have many many years to live. Why do they suddenly want you to marry so badly?"

"I've already been Pharaoh for four years. It's uncommon for a Pharaoh to stay unmarried for so long. The first thing he should do, when crowned, is to find a proper woman, marry her and make sure there come heirs."

"Oh! Adorable little versions of you! Cute!"

Atemu gave her an annoyed look. "Mana."

She gave him a sheepishly smile. "Sorry." He rolled his eyes. "So what do you think?"

"About marrying? You know that I don't want to marry yet."

"Yes, I know that. But do you think that it is for the best of the people and the empire if you found a Queen?"

Atemu glanced around the gardens. "Maybe. I don't know. I never really thought about it."

"Then think about it."

"It is not that easy, okay? Yes, I do admit that the idea of having a woman around here who looks after the household and everything would be a burden off my shoulders –" He glanced around again. "– a woman who would look after the gardens again –"

"They do need the right woman's touch."

"– but this is marriage we are talking about. _**MY**_ marriage." He signed, looking tired once again. "I don't know. I just don't know. The whole idea to marry frightens me a little."

"Huh?" Mana gave him a confused look. "But you're fearless! You've fight hundreds of battles, defeated our enemies countless times and threw yourself into battle without thinking twice."

Atemu snorted. "I prefer fighting off our enemies and going to war then getting married."

"But why?"

"I…" He stopped, thinking about it, before shaking his head. "I don't know. I just do."

"OPEN THE GATES!" was suddenly yelled. "NOW!"

Atemu stood up, frowning. Mana followed his example, she was looking rather worried. "What's going on?"

"That's what we will have to find out."

He turned around and walked back inside, his purple cape floating after him. Mana followed him in a trot. Back in the throne room, more people were already gathered and were talking in worried and shushed voices to each other. They fell silent when he entered and bowed when he passed them.

They stood up again when he had taken his seat in his throne again and he looked at them with worried eyes. "What's going on?"

"We do not know, my Pharaoh," said Isis. She was the only Priestess that he had and she was Guardian of the Millennium Necklace.

The doors of the throne room went open again and one of the leading generals in Atemu's army walked in, together with two other soldiers. Everyone made way for him. When he reached the steps that led to Atemu's throne, he and the two soldiers stopped and bowed. "Your Highness."

"Stand." The three rose to their feet again. "What news do you bring?"

"A large army has crossed our southern borders."

"Impossible," said Hakizimana, one of the councillors. He was in charge when Shimon wasn't around. "No one can get through our defences."

Atemu raised a hand and silenced him by doing so. "Go on."

"Anubis is leading the army." Atemu's eyes narrowed when hearing that name. "We will set up defences around the Palace immediately," continued the general.

"No." Atemu rose up. "Rather send your troops to protect the people. Anubis will come here to get his revenge, with or without your protecting troops. And before he reaches these walls, he will destroy every village and city that comes in his way and kill every man, woman and child."

The general bowed. "As you wish, Sire."

"Hakizimana," said Atemu, while walking down the stairs.

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"Deliver contraception notices throughout all the provinces. Call up reserves and as many as new recruits as possible."

"Forgive me, Your Majesty," said the general. "But I believe my troops can stop him."

"None other then the Pharaoh himself has succeeded this far into stopping Anubis," said Seth. He was also one of Atemu's Priests and Guardian of the Millennium Rod.

"I will not be taking any chances," said Atemu. "And I will not be waiting for Anubis to come to me."

"Your Majesty!" yelped several voices.

But Atemu paid no head. "I will train these new recruits myself."

"But, Sire…"

"That's my final word in this," interrupted Atemu. "One man can make the difference. One man can make the decision between victory and defeat. And I will make sure that if that one man will be one of the new recruits, that he will be trained like I want him to be."

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><p><strong>So this was the first chapter.<strong>

**Please let me know what you think so please review. I love those things. **

**And special thanks to my sweet little neighbour, Jasmine, who brought this idea in my head.**

**I will try to update Wednesday. **

**XxX Emmetje**


	3. Not the Casual Young Lady

**Hello, everyone.**

**Here is chapter 2, like promised.**

**Thank you for all the reviews and please keep sending them. I totally love them.**

**I try my hardest to make sure there are no grammar and spelling errors in my story but I can't promise to have it completely error free. ****English is not my mother language.**

**Anyway, on with the story. Let's meet my oc. **

**Please, let me know what you think and I will update again on Saturday.**

**XxX Emmetje**

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><p>A Girl in the Egyptian Army<p>

Chapter 2

Not the Casual Young Lady

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><p>It took a couple of days before the messengers left the Palace to visit all the Egyptian provinces and tell the news about the upcoming war and the orders that the Pharaoh had given. But eventually they did leave and it would just be a matter of time before they would even reach the villages in the furthest corners of the empire.<p>

In one of the Egyptian provinces that they had yet to reach, there was a large house that belonged to the noble Retenu family. This family was well known for its honour and respect and also for its kindness and charity.

The Retenu family had four members. Zahur Retenu was the head of the family and a well respected man. He had fought many wars under Pharaoh Aknamkanon's command, the Pharaoh before Pharaoh Atemu.

During the last war in which he had fought, he had gotten wounded and the doctors had told him that the wound would never heal completely. Ever since that moment he was having trouble with walking and he used a stick for extra support.

His wife was Layla Retenu. She was the love of his life. He had saved her from death when she had been stuck in a burning house, this had also during the time he had fought in the army, and they had almost immediately fallen in love with each other. Two months after they had met, they had gotten married and they were still madly in love and happily married.

Then there was Tefnut Retenu. She was Zahur's mother and an old lady. She liked to play games and she liked betting games even more. She also had a strong mind and was very spiritful.

The last of the family was Amarra Retenu. She was the adoptive daughter of Zahur and Layla, as they had found out not long after their marriage that they couldn't have kids on their own. But she was still loved by them as if she was their own.

All four members of the Retenu family lived there in that house together with a cook, three maids, a gardener and a stable boy. More servants they didn't need and the ones they had were paid well and also lived good and happy lives.

And it was five days after the Pharaoh had given the orders to recruit a man out of every single family, that the things had changed in that house. But it all started like an average morning.

Amarra was lying in her bed and in her room and was sleeping very deep. The curtains of her bedroom were closed tightly but a small ray of sunlight managed to peek through them and landed on her face.

This caused her to stir a little and stretch herself out while yawning. But after that she just turned around on her belly and let one of her arms hang down over the side of her bed.

She was quite a fast sleeper and it always took a lot of effort to wake her up. The maids had learned quite quickly that the only way to get her awake and have her happy for the rest of the day, was to wait until she would wake up all on her own.

Another stray of sunlight succeeded into sneaking through the curtains and bullied her again by landing on her face. This made her frown and she let out an annoyed groan while turning around once again, in a try to escape the sunlight.

But the sun was rising up on the sky and more and more rays of sun slipped through her curtains and that annoyed the still sleeping Amarra. She threw an arm over her eyes and groaned, now slowly starting to wake up.

The cover over her eyes didn't help and her try to get away from the light only made her get more and more awake. Finally she threw her arm back and opened her eyes with a lacy look in them.

Her hair was a complete mess and her sheets looked like she had been fighting under them. This had almost been the case as she had been bothered by nightmares and she had tossed and turned and fought in her sleep.

Yawning she threw the cover from her body and stretched herself out again. This time better. Her sleeping outfit was a little odd. She was wearing a white strapless top and a white pair of pants that reached to just under her knees. As the Retenu family was a noble family, the women in them were ladies and what Amarra was wearing, wasn't what you would expect a lady to wear, not even in bed. But she didn't care. It was comfortable and that was all what mattered to her.

Amarra slowly sat up and went with a hand through her messy hair, messing it up only more. Her still half closed eyes were glancing through her room and she gave the rays of sun that succeeded into passing her curtains, an annoyed look.

She rubbed her eyes before throwing her legs over the edge of her bed and placing her feet on the cold ground. That awakened her a little more.

She scuffed out of her room and into the dining area and woke up completely when she saw that the table was deserted.

It was normal for her to come out of bed as last and find her father, her mother and her grandmother sitting at the table, drinking their tea, eating their breakfast and talking to each other. But they weren't there.

She frowned, trying to remember if there was something special today but she couldn't figure out what.

"Oh, Milady!" Her maid, Femi, had walked into the area. "I'm so happy to finally see you awake! You have to hurry!" She passed her mother's maid, Monifa, some fresh washed clothes when she passed them, before turning to Amarra again. "Your mother and your grandmother have already left. They expect you to meet them in town."

Amarra gave her a confused look. "What is it today again?"

Femi gave her an indignant look. "You are to meet the matchmaker today, Milady!"

Amarra's eyes widened, now finally realising what was going on. She slapped her forehead. "I complete forget about that!" That didn't please her maid a bit. "When did my mother and grandmother leave?"

"You just missed them, Milady."

"Oh!" Amarra looked completely relaxed again. "Then I still have a while."

"Milady!"

"Don't worry, Femi," said Amarra, waving it off while walking towards the kitchen to fetch herself some breakfast. "I've enough time left. No need to hurry."

Femi shook her head, pressing a hand against her forehead but Amarra didn't see that and even if she had, she had paid no attention to it. Femi, Monifa and Ati (her grandmother's maid) often called her a hopeless case.

"Morning, Kafele!" greeted Amarra cheerful when she entered the kitchen.

"Ah, good morning, Miss Amarra," greeted the cook back. "Ready for your big day?"

She shrugged. "As ready as I will ever be." She grabbed a view fruits, some bread and a plate. "I'm not really nervous but I just hope that I will not make a fool of myself and dishonour our family."

"You're too kind to anything like that."

"Ha!" laughed Amarra. "You know me longer then today, Kafele. Somehow I will do something clumsy that will lead to that."

"I still seriously doubt it."

She gave the cook a warm smile. "You're a great cook, Kafele, but a terrible liar." She waved while walking out of the kitchen again. "Anyway, thanks for the food."

"You're welcome, little one."

"I'm not little anymore!" she yelled back at him, in a playful tone, before returning to her room again. The curtains were now thrown open, probably Femi's doing, and her once so dark room was now bathing in sunlight.

Amarra hopped back on her bed, placing her plate with the fruits and the bread beside her, and grabbed a book from under her bed.

Her mother had told her what the matchmaker would expect from her and what she would probably ask and what she expected her to answer. The thing just was: the things she was expected to give as an answer, weren't the things she actually wanted to answer and defiantly not the things that she was.

Reading over the notes, she tried to pound them into her brain. To make sure she would be able to answer the questions but she kept forgetting them. Then she got a bright idea and grabbed some ink and a paintbrush.

"Let's see. What will she probably want to hear? Uh…" Amarra scanned the pages, trying to pick eight words that she had to remember and tell the matchmaker. She put the paintbrush in the ink and started to write down words on her arm.

After a while she looked at the result. She had one more to go. She blew against the black writing, trying to make it dry. "Which one do I not have yet?" She took a bite of one of the remaining fruits. "Quite and kind, graceful, polite, delicate, refined, punctual and –" She glanced over the pages against, her eyes lighting up when she found the last one. "– mannered." She wrote it down. "There!"

On that moment a cock crowed outside and that alarmed Amarra, who had forgotten all about the time. "Aya!" She nearly fell of her bed in her hurry to get out of bed again. She ran out her room again. "Emu!" she called out, running through the house while blowing against the ink on her arm. "Emu! Here, girl!"

"Milady!" protested Ati shocked when she passed her. "Are you still not dressed?"

"Working on it." Amarra ran on and outside. "Emu!" A loud yawn made her turn around again and look down towards the floor. "There you are!"

A rather large cat was laying on the ground in the sun in front of the back door. She looked up with half open eyes and yawned again.

Amarra put her hands on her hips. "Hey, if I am not allowed to lie in my bed anymore then you aren't either."

"Milady!" called Femi out of the house.

"Come on, girl. You've got to help me with my chores today." Amarra quickly grabbed a sack with grain in it and tied it around Emu's collar. Then she grabbed a mouse that was gnawing on one of the remaining sacks with grain and tied it up to another rope that was attached to a small fishing line. That fishing line she also attached to Emu's collar.

The cat and the mouse saw each other and the mouse shrieked while trying to get away, causing the cat to go after it, or that was what she thought.

Amarra glanced satisfied after the cat that was now going after the mouse and was feeding the chickens by running around. The cock on the roof of the stables crowded again and made her shriek before running back inside to get dressed in something more properly.

While she was getting dressed, Emu kept running, in a try to get the mouse, and that caused her to run towards the small temple that was standing on a small hill that was a part of the gardens behind their house.

Amarra's father, Zahur, was visiting that small temple and was lighting a candle. There was a small table in the temple in front of many large stones and on those stones were named written and those names belonged to their ancestors. And on that table were many candles.

With a lot of afford he managed to get on his knees and closed his eyes while bowing. "Honourable ancestors, hear my prayers." He sat up normally again. "Please help Amarra to impress the matchmaker today." He opened his eyes when he heard a cat hiss and a mouse shriek and just saw how Emu ran out the temple again. But she had been followed by a bunch of hungry chickens that were now feasting their beaks with the grain that was lying all around him. He signed, knowing very well who was responsible for this. He glanced up at the stones and prayed almost desperately: "Please. Please, help her."

Amarra had meanwhile changed into a light brown dress with a heart shaped neckline. The skirt of the dress didn't quite reach to the ground and showed most of both her shins and the sleeves of the top were at the end rolled up one single time. Around her waist there was a belt that was made of a slightly lighter brown colour then her skirt and in the middle there was triangular red stone. On her feet she was wearing two dark brown slippers and her red hair was hanging freely on her back.

She had also made tea and was now tripling up the stairs towards the temple. On her way she found Emu, who was now trying to catch the mouse without running around. With one hand she released the small mouse and it ran off with Emu following it.

"Father, I brought you…" She jumped slightly when she nearly bumped into Zahur, who just walked out the temple. This made her drop the tray with the teapot and the cup she had brought for him. Zahur managed to catch the teapot just in time. "Oops."

"Amarra."

"I brought a spare," said his daughter rather cheerful and she showed him another cup.

"Amarra."

She poured the tea in the cup. "You know what the doctor said. Three cups of tea in the morning –"

"Amarra."

"– three in the afternoon and two at night." She gave her father the cup.

"Amarra, you should already be in town. We're counting on you to –"

"– uphold the family honour. I know, father. I will not let you down. I promise."

Zahur gave her a stern look. "You shouldn't take this so lightly. This is a very important day."

"Don't worry, father. I've everything covered." She gave him a kiss on his cheek before running down the stairs towards the stables to grab her horse, Kahi, and race into town. "Wish me luck."

"Hurry." After she had disappeared out of his sight, he looked at Emu who raced passed him again, now tangled in a fair chase with the mouse. He signed. "I'm going to pray some more." He stumbled back into the temple, taking his cup of tea and the teapot with him.

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><p>It was always busy in the town where the Retenu family lived close by. People were standing everywhere with small stalls, the road was always overloaded with carriages, horses and carts.<p>

In front of one of the shops in the city were standing two people, two women to be precise. An elderly, grey lady, who was talking to a stall owner, and a younger woman with black hair with a view streaks of grey every now and then in it.

Those two were Tefnut and Layla Retenu and they were waiting for Amarra to arrive. And they had been waiting for already quite a while.

Layla had started to pace around while Tefnut, who was a little more carefree, just visited a view stalls to see if they had anything that was to her liking.

Out of the shop where they were standing in front of came another woman. She was holding a brush and gave Layla an impatient look. "Layla, is your daughter here yet?"

"No. Not yet."

"Well, I hope that she arrives soon. The matchmaker is not a very patient woman."

The woman disappeared into her shop again and Layla gave an almost desperate sign. "Of all days to be late. Why is it that every time she chooses to be late, it is for something very important?" She signed again. "I should have prayed to the ancestors for luck before we had left."

"How lucky can they be?" asked Tefnut, joining her daughter-in-law. "They're dead." She laughed a little. "Besides, I've got all the luck we will need." She held up a small wooden cage which held a cricket.

Layla signed again. "I don't care what we will have do to get some luck, as long as it helps. Oh, if she would just arrive already!"

Tefnut wandered off a little and turned to the cricket. "This is your chance to prove yourself." She put a hand over her eyes and without another thought she walked unto the busy road and she kept walking.

"Mama, no!" yelped Layla but her mother-in-law kept walking. Layla nearly fainted and looked up at the skies. "Oh, please, Good Gods. Give me a miracle or else I'm not going to survive this!"

When Tefnut reached the other side of the road, she put her hand down and laughed. She turned around and saw the chaos behind her. Carriages had bumped into each other, carts had bumped into stalls after they had tried to avoid hitting her and animals had escaped and were running freely over the road and through the streets now.

But she didn't pay attention to the chaos but just held up the cage. "Yep, this cricket is a lucky one!" she called out to Layla.

Layla pressed a hand against her forehead and signed. But she looked up again when she heard a horse neighing.

Amarra, who was sitting on her horse, jumped over a view destroyed carriages and carts and then jumped off Kahi's back when she had reached her mother, holding her arms up in the air. "I'm here!" Layla gave her a slightly angry and stern look and Amarra lowered her arms. "What?"

"You're late."

"I'm sorry. I overslept. And after that I had to finish my…"

"None of your excuses," said Layla, pushing her daughter towards the shop. "I think I've heard them all by now."

"But…"

"No, buts. Now let's get you inside and cleaned up because you can't meet the matchmaker with those looks."

Amarra gave her a confused look. "What's wrong with my looks? I'm wearing a dress, my hair will look fine again after a good brush and I bathed just yesterday." Layla pulled something out of her hair and showed it to her. It was a piece of straw. "Oh."

She was pushed inside the shop and immediately came face to face with a small woman that was so dressed up and was wearing so much make-up that she looked like a porcelain doll.

Amarra strongly disliked women like her and wasn't even a little pleased when the woman came up to her and started to examine her.

"This is what you give me to work with?" she asked Layla. Amarra's mother nodded, looking again a little desperate. "Oh, don't worry, honey. I've seen much worse."

"How much worse can it get?"

"I'm not that bad," protested Amarra while being shoved behind a cloth screen.

"Get undressed. And do it quickly. We've not much time left," said the woman.

Amarra gave her mother a slightly pleading look but only got a stern look back so she started to undress. And when she was stripped to the bone, the woman just pushed her into a bath that was standing beside the screen.

Amarra's gasped while coming back with her head above the water. Her teeth were chattering and she rubbed her hands over her arms. "It's freezing."

"It would have been warm if you had been on time,' said Layla.

The woman threw more cold water over Amarra's head, causing her hair to fall completely in front of her eyes. "Now, let's get started on changing you from a sow's ear into a silk purse."

Amarra pushed her hair out of her eyes. "Why does everyone keep saying that I look like nothing?"

"Honey, you're a beautiful young lady but you walk around like you're nothing but a farm's daughter. You could have any man if you would just dress up and walk around like the noble lady that you're," said the woman. "But believe me, after we're done with you…"

"What exactly are you going to do with me?" asked Amarra, suddenly a little worried. She hated to get all dressed up.

"We will start with washing you." Amarra pulled a face when the woman started to scrub her head violently. "Then we will dry, polish and primp you. And after we're done, you will glow with pride."

Amarra got another bucket with water over her head before two more other shampoos and yet another bucket of water.

"Amarra," said Layla, who had wanted to start cleaning the rest of her body with a sponge. "What is this?"

Amarra pushed her hair out of her eyes again and saw that her mother had found the ink notes on her arm. She quickly pulled her arm out of her grasp. "Nothing. Just notes." Layla looked slightly disappointment. "Just in case if I forget something."

"Here, hold this," said Tefnut, who had walked up to them, and she gave Layla the cage with the cricket in it. "We will need more luck then I thought."

Amarra groaned when she saw the woman return with even more things that she would probably get over her head. "I hope that whatever guy I get matched up with by the matchmaker, that he will be worth all of this."

"Let's first focus on you trying to impress the matchmaker so she will actually chose a man for you before we start talking about if he will be worth it or not."

"I'm just saying…" She pulled another face when she got even more liquids thrown over her head and when people started to scrub her body from different sides. "I'm just saying that he has to be a real dream guy to make me endure all of this. You think I should be able to score enough guys with just being a lady."

"Well, if you would actually act like one for a change I've no doubt that you wouldn't even have to go through all of this because you would have already been married."

Amarra stuck out her tongue. "I don't want to get married yet." She shrieked when another bucket of cold water was thrown over her.

"You've the right age, honey," said Layla.

"And girls like you should be excited to have the age to get married," said the woman, now returning with a towel. "Out."

Amarra stood up and was pulled out of the bath and wrapped tightly into a towel. "I really hope this will all be worth it."

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><p><strong>Please review! I really would like to know what you think about the story and my oc's. Especially Amarra.<strong>

**Again: I will update the third chapter on Saturday. Until then.**

**XxX Emmetje**


	4. The Matchmaker

**Hello everyone!**

**Again, thank you for all the reviews.**

**To answer a view of the reviews...**

**Aqua girl 007, I get it that you're confused. I was at first too when I was writing this. The ancestors play quite a big part in the Mulan story, especially because they sent Mushu. At first I wanted to change them to the Gods, like was more fitting for a story that takes place in Ancient Egypt. But then I decided to do both and keep the ancestors in the story, as I will need them in the story later on and it would be a little weird if the Gods would look after Amarra, personally. That would make her a little Mary Sue and I really try to make sure that doesn't happen. And thank you very much for thinking this is well written! Really, thank you! Gives my ego a boost ;)**

**Dontgotaclue88, this will probably remind you of one of your fav disney movies as it is based on one. Mulan to be precise. I hope that doesn't bother you too much and I hope you will still like it.**

**And with that over, let's go on with the story. The part where Amarra is going to meet the matchmaker. That's going to end well...**

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><p>A Girl in the Egyptian Army<p>

Chapter 3

The Matchmaker

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><p>Amarra had a face that could be compared to a heavy storm. Her eyes were narrowed and they had an angry glance in them, her lips were too small lines and her hands were clutching the pillow she was sitting on.<p>

Why? Because the woman of the shop and one of her assistance were busy with her hair. They were pulling on it, sometimes so hard that it felt like they were going to pull it right out of her head.

And during all of that they were also gossiping about all kind of things. From a scandal a neighbour had done to what some princess had wore during a meeting with the Pharaoh.

"Au! Can you please be careful?"

"You've to suffer to gain beauty, honey," said the assistance.

"But just watch and see. When we're through with you –" They pulled her hair at the same time towards two different directions. This caused Amarra's face to pull away in pain.

"– boys would gladly go to war for you."

"Preferred not," mumbled Amarra. "They aren't very useful when they're dead." She pulled another face when they nearly pulled her head completely back in her neck when they started to braid her hair and tightened it with a bow.

"There." The woman of the shop gave her a mirror to look in. "With your good fortune –"

The assistance took the mirror away from her and looked at herself in it. "– and your great hairdo –" Amarra pulled a face when she saw that she had almost the exact same hairdo as the creepy assistance.

"– you'll impress the matchmaker and bring honour to your family."

The streaks of hair that had still been framing her face were also pushed back, making Amarra not like her new look at all. It gave her such a fragile small face.

Her mother walked back into the area and pulled her up again, shoving her behind the cloth screen again. There she pulled a long white dress over her daughter's head. A dress that had a rather deep neckline and no sleeves.

"I'm really not comfortable with this." Amarra pointed to her hair. "Can't I get another hairstyle that isn't almost an exact copy of one that belongs to someone who works here?"

"If you shouldn't have been late, there might have been time to change your hair. But as you were late…"

"Yeah, yeah," signed Amarra. "I get, mama. You're not going to make me forget this anytime soon, are you?"

Layla smiled. "Not a chance. Now, let's go for a walk."

She gave Amarra a light blue tunic to wear over her dress and after she had put that on, mother and daughter walked out the store back. Amarra saw four other girls standing outside with four other women, probably their mothers. The daughters were already dressed up in neat dresses and with their faces covered in make-up. The mothers were talking to the daughters, telling them what to do and what not to do.

"You know that a girl can bring her family great honour, Amarra," said Layla while they walked further through the streets.

"Not in the way a man can," pointed Amarra out.

"We're women, darling. Not men. And women can bring their family honour by marrying the right man."

Amarra pulled a bored face. "That's what it is all about. Me being here. To strike a good match. To get matched up with a wealthy man that has a high title."

"Yes, that is what today is all about. That is what the duty of a young lady is. To marry the right man and to keep the family honour high."

"It's always about honour. Why can it never be love? Shouldn't love be just as important as honour?" Amarra glanced at her mother, curious about the answer. "You married father out of love."

"Your father and I had the luck to fall in love and be good matches for each other," said Layla while walking on proudly. "Love and honour are both important, just as respect and obedience. You will need to have those things and a lot more to become a right match. I know that you have that in you. And the man you will be matched up with, there might at first not be a connection but overtime you will learn to love him." She turned around to face Amarra with a warm smile. "Believe me."

Her face changed when she saw that Amarra wasn't walking with her anymore but that she had stopped by a game of aseb between two elderly men and that she put a move for the man who had looked like he was losing. And by that one move that man was suddenly winning again.

Layla walked back and grabbed her arm, pulling her with her again. "Behave like you should be. Just for once."

Amarra looked saddened by the angry tone of her mother's voice. "I'm sorry, mother."

Layla signed and gave her a loving smile. "I shouldn't be so harsh on you but you already have the fact against you that you look different. And the fact that you also act different –"

"– it will work against my benefits if I would show anyone," finished Amarra. "I know, mother. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

Layla took Amarra's hand in hers. "It's alright, my darling. Now remember, you don't speak before given permission to speak and you will have to do everything the matchmaker says and give her all the respect you have."

"What if she doesn't deserve my respect?"

"Amarra."

Amarra gave Layla an apologetic look again. "Sorry."

They had reached the shop again and Amarra was brought inside, again. "Come on. Let's get you ready."

She was taken towards the back of the shop and to a room where several dresses were hanging.

She was ordered to take of the green tunic and the white dress and after that she got another white dress pulled over her head. This one had a heart shaped neckline and half long sleeves that were wide. After that she got a short red skirt around her waist that had one very long wisp at front. She also got another white plaid around her belly.

When they tightened that plaid at the back, Amarra took a sharp breathe and placed a hand against her stomach. "Does it really have to be so tight?"

"Again, honey. You need to suffer pain to become beautiful."

"I guess beautiful ladies don't have to breathe then. And doesn't that kind of red swear with my hair?"

"Don't be ridiculous. It looks fine."

"Act like you know what colours to wear with what other colours. Men like girls with good taste."

"They want their women to be calm –" said the woman of the shop.

"– obedient –" filled Layla in while bringing a white band.

The woman walked a couple of times around her, making sure the band was getting around her torso just under her cleavage, to make sure it was pushed a little more up. "– and who work fast-paced."

The band was tightened and very tight, which caused Amarra to gasp for breathe before holding her breathe in. "Breathe, honey," said the assistance. "Men like women with good breathing."

"Then they defiantly shouldn't like corsets. Is there anything else they like?"

"A woman who bears them many children –"

Amarra rolled her eyes, mumbling sarcastic: "Of course."

"– a tiny waist, a large chest and a sweet smile."

"Let me get this straight," said Amarra, still pressing a hand against her belly while trying to breathe a little better. "Men like women who have a tiny waist, who can bear them many children, who have a good taste, who are obedient and calm and who have a large chest?"

The three women nodded with a big smile. "And who bring honour to not only her family but to his too."

"So being a woman practically means that you have to be a breeding machine."

"Amarra!" gasped Layla.

The young redheaded woman pulled another apologetic face. "Sorry."

"Honey, we all must serve the Pharaoh. He is the one who protects us from our enemies."

Amarra gave the assistance a cold, sceptical look with her eyebrows crooked up and her upper lip slightly pulling over her teeth, like she was disgusted. "He is twenty one."

"And has already fought many wars to protect us," said the woman of the shop. "Men must serve him by working for him, either as a farmer or as a soldier. And women must serve him by bearing sons."

She opened her mouth to make some witty comeback but changed her mind and kept her lips tightly on each other. Satisfied and thinking that she finally understood, they went to chose her shoes. While doing so, Amarra breathed out and muttered: "Somehow I doubt that I'm made for the job as a wife."

She was however heard and the two women of the shop laughed. "Oh, don't be silly. Every girl is made for the job as wife."

"Always wanted to be the first in something," muttered Amarra, this time to softly that she was sure no one heard anything. "So I'm bathed, my hair is done and I'm dressed properly. Anything else?"

"Make-up," answered Layla while placing Amarra's black slippers in front of her. "But this shop doesn't do that. We will need to go to another shop to get your make-up done."

Amarra stepped without another word in her shoes and was guided out the store again and towards another store. During that walk, they passed a girl, sitting on the ground and playing with a doll, and two little boys, fighting each other with wooden swords.

Amarra gave them a slightly loving and adoring smile. Even though she didn't like men that much and she didn't want to marry yet, she did adore and absolutely loved children.

When she saw how one of the boys stole the doll of the girl, she stopped him and snatched the doll back, giving it after that back to the girl. Luckily for her this went unnoticed by her mother.

Immediately after arriving at the new shop, she was placed in a chair and ordered to close her eyes by yet another woman while she did her make-up. And when that woman was done, she opened her eyes again and looked into the mirror.

Her eyes immediately widened when she saw her own reflection. She hardly recognized herself. Her lips had a blood red colour, her cheeks had a blush that wasn't her own and above her eyes she was wearing purple eyeshadow. And her eyes were circled by black eyeliner that had also been used to create two small lines in the corner of her eyes.

Layla gave her two golden earrings that Amarra put in her ears and after that her mother also placed a comb with a blossom flower on it in her daughter's hair, just where the braid started.

Amarra glanced in the mirror again before putting the tip of her finger in her mouth and curling two streaks of her hair and making them frame her face.

"There." Layla smiled proudly after putting one single golden bracelet around Amarra's left wrist. "If there is any man that will now say no to you, it will be a miracle. You're ready, my darling."

"Not yet," said Tefnut who came walking towards them. "Here." She pressed an apple into Amarra's mouth. "An apple for serenity." Amarra quickly took a bite before taking the apple out of her mouth again. Tefnut showed her a pendant next. "A pendant for balance." On it there was an animal that Amarra didn't succeed in recognizing so fast. Tefnut placed it under her plaid corset and after that she showed her a necklace. "And a necklace made of jade beats for beauty. Show it proudly as everyone will then see that you're far more beautiful then it. And now as last." Layla gave her the cricket in the small cage. "A cricket, just for luck." Tefnut placed the small cage at the back of her plaid corset and gave her after that a slight slap on her hip. "And now you're ready."

Layla came hurrying back into the room, looking slightly panicked. "It's time. The brides are leaving."

Amarra quickly made her way out the make-up store and when she was inside she looked up pleading at the sky. "Ancestors, Gods, please here my prayers and for once, just answer them. I'm begging you to help me not make a fool of myself and to not uproot my family tree. Please." She glanced behind her and saw that her mother and grandmother were glancing after her, her mother rubbing the tears out of her eyes. "And please let no danger come to them. And if you're not busy and still have time left, do help me to find a right man."

"Amarra!" Layla came running after her and gave her a blue parasol, the one she would need and had forgotten. "Hurry up, my darling. And don't be ashamed to be scared. Every girl is scared. They find it scarier to meet their matchmaker then to meet the undertaker."

Amarra nodded quickly before lifting up her skirt and running after the other four girls that were making their way to the matchmaker's house. She glanced up at the sky. "_Please,_" she thought in herself. "_Please, let me not blow this up. Bring honour to my family. Please._"

When they arrived at the matchmaker's house, Amarra followed the example of the other girls and opened her parasol, kneeled down and hided under it. Not a second after they had done that, the doors flew open and someone came outside.

For another second it was completely silent and then she heard someone say: "Amarra Retenu."

Her nerves were getting the best of her and she stood up normal. "Present."

A gruffly looking lady, dressed in purple, looked back at her and made a note. "Speaking without permission."

Amarra pulled an uncomfortable face. "Oops."

"Inside."

Amarra closed her parasol and walked into the house, telling herself she had already started bad and if nothing else would go wrong, she would still, maybe, get a good match.

The matchmaker threw the doors close behind them and started to examine her after that. This made Amarra even more uncomfortable.

"Too pale." Amarra wanted nothing more but to open her mouth and protest about her skin colour but decided wisely not to. "And your hair. Red. Never seen that before." She circled her like a predator. "And too skinny." The matchmaker turned around and walked away slowly. "Not good for bearing sons."

Amarra's face turned into complete shock when she saw the cricket that her grandmother gave her on the matchmaker's shoulder. She quickly caught it but the cricket kept jumping out of her hands and she didn't really get the right grip on it.

The cricket jumped everywhere and just when she had caught it again, the matchmaker turned towards her again and Amarra quickly put the cricket into her mouth, seeing no better option. "Describe the final admonition."

She nodded, starting to feel really uncomfortable now. Maybe even panicking. She took out her fan and expanded it, covering her mouth by doing so, and spat the cricket out.

"Well?" asked the matchmaker.

"For fill your duties calmly and –" She glanced at her wrist towards the notes she had made and found the words she was looking for. "– respectfully and reflect before you snack. Er, I mean act. This shall bring you honour and glory."

The matchmaker turned her back for a moment at her again and Amarra gave a relieved sign and tried to cover the notes again before she saw it. She also had another problem. They had smeared which made them hard to read.

The matchmaker turned to her again and snatched the fan out of her hand, examining it before closing it and placing it back in her hand. After that she grabbed her wrist and pulled her with her further into the room. And she had grabbed just the wrist where she had made notes on.

\"This way." She made Amarra sit down on her knees at a low table and put a teapot on it. There was also already a cup. "Now, pour the tea." Amarra suddenly noticed that the hand of the matchmaker that had held her wrist was covered with blank ink.

"_Not good_," she thought.

"To please your future inloss, you must demonstrate a sense of dignity." Amarra kept her eyes on the hand of the woman and saw how she made a circle with two of the fingers on her face, making a beard like line of ink on her face. She kept looking at her while she poured the tea, noticing a little too late that she was pouring beside the cup. Realising her mistake, she quickly changed it and did it the right way. "And refinement. You must also be poised."

Amarra was startled again when she heard the sound of a cricket and looked into the cup, seeing that the same cricket she had gotten from her grandmother, was now bathing in the tea. "_I'm seeing things. Please tell me I'm seeing things!_" The matchmaker grabbed to her horror the cup and was bringing it to her mouth. "Pardon me…"

"And silent," snapped the matchmaker.

"But…"

"Silent!"

She kept her mouth again but started to really panic when she saw the matchmaker took in the smell of the tea. Climbing on table she carefully took the cup. "Might I just take that back?" She pulled slightly but the matchmaker pulled back making the cup fly through the sky and spill the liquid over the purple dress of the matchmaker. The woman jumped up and Amarra pulled a face when she saw the cricket slip into the matchmaker's cleavage. "Not good," she whispered.

The matchmaker looked very angry at her. "Why you clumpsy…" She stopped when the cricket started to move in her cleavage and she started to move and jump around a little, giving small yelps.

But it didn't end there. During her jumps around she had accidently pushed down the coal stove and she had tripped over it and she had now fallen with her backside on those hot coals. Feeling it burn she jumped up and screamed while running around, trying to get the fire out.

Amarra, realising that she had to do something, ran towards the woman and tried to pat the fire out. It probably would have gone out but it didn't. Even worse, the opposite happened. It started to burn even more, making the matchmaker scream only louder.

"Of all days, why today?" begged Amarra, looking up at the ceiling with a desperate look in her eyes. "You Gods really hate me, don't you?"

The matchmaker ran outside, moving with her backside to the crowd, mentioning to it while yelling: "Put it out! PUT IT OUT!"

The redheaded girl quickly grabbed the first liquid she could find, which was the tea, and she ran outside, throwing it over the matchmaker. She did put the fire out by doing so but also made the matchmaker look like complete fool as the make-up the woman was wearing, began to smear out.

Gasps were heard and Amarra gave the older woman the teapot back and gave her a small bow out of respect before making her way to her mother and grandmother, who were in the crowd watching. She had never felt so embarrassed or ashamed before.

Layla took her daughter softly by her arm but before she could say anything, the matchmaker walked after her and started to take her anger out. "You're a disgrace!" She threw the teapot on the ground, breaking it in a thousand pieces. "You may look pretty and you may look like a bride but you will never be one! You will never bring your family honour! You hear me? NEVER! You will never marry! And even if you do, the one who you will marry will have to be brainless and blind! He has to be a complete utter idiot!"

The matchmaker turned around and marched away, back inside. The people around them started to whisper and moved away from them. Amarra looked down at the ground, her eyes sad and guilty. Layla and Tefnut both embraced her slightly, trying to comfort her but failed in doing so.

The young redheaded woman just pushed herself out of their embrace and walked away, to the place she knew her horse was standing. She wanted nothing more but to go home and crawl away in some hole and to never come out of it again.

"Amarra," said Layla, following her daughter. "Don't listen to her. She doesn't know what she is saying…"

"No," snapped Amarra turning around to face her mother. "She was right. Only an brainless, blind idiot would marry me. I look different, I act different. Mother, I am different! I tried to pat the fire out and you know what happened? I only made it worse. I didn't have those damned powers under control again. I never have! And you think a man would see past that? That he would ignore them?" She shook her head. "No, that bitch of a woman was right. I'll never bring our family honour. And I will never marry."

She jumped on her horse and pushed her heels deep into her belly, galloping away. And once out of the city, she started to sob but she refused to really cry. They would see and that was something she didn't want to give them: knowing someone had made her cry.

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><p><strong>And that was chapter 3. Oh bo<strong>**y****, that really ended well, didn't it? And you guys found out a little more about her powers, right?**

**You probably will have a lot of questions. It will all be explained in the future of this story. Not all, but if I tell you guys everything, I won't have any more ideas for a sequel, now will I? If a sequel will be what the readers will want.**

**Anyway, please review, it brightens my day so much. Gives me a smile like this :D only then even wider.**

**Also, I have a question. It's more a favour. If anyone notices any kind of error, either in the grammar or in the spelling, please tell me. As I'm still no professional in this language, I will learn from my mistakes. **

**If anyone starts to think Amarra is a little Mary Sue, PLEASE LET ME KNOW! That's exactly what I'm trying to prevent her from becoming. Not that there's anything with a Mary Sue. I mean, some are really annoying but not all of them. But that's my opinion. **

**I will update again on Thurseday so check for a new chapter then. **

**XxX Emmetje**


	5. Dishonour and Embarrassment

**Hello everyone!**

**I promised I would update today, didn't I? ****Blimey, this is even later then last time. ****I'm really sorry for that. **

**Again, thank you for all the reviews. I love them.**

**You know, I almost had a problem. You see, my laptop died Monday morning and this chapter and the next one, they were still on it. So I was already busy with rewriting this one and was making an author's note to tell you all that it would probably take a little bit longer when suddenly he started to do it again. So that was a relief. A big one.**

**By the way, that sweet girl from next dear that I baby sit and I told you all about, she is a sorce of inspiration. I translated this story for her and then she suddenly said (she is quite smart for her age) that I should draw Amarra and the clothes she wears in this story and what they look like in my mind so she and my other readers know a little better what she looks like and what she wears. ****All nice and all but I suck at drawing. **

**But thanks God there is internet. I found this site called doll divine and there they had something called sari maker. It was just what I needed. So if you want to see what Amarra looks like, sort off, in my head and what clothes she wears in this story, check out the links on my account. They are standing under the label "a girl in the egyptian army". You can't miss them.**

**Anyway, on with the story. I hope you guys like it and please let me know what you think. I will update again on Monday. So until then...**

**Please review!**

**XxX Emmetje**

* * *

><p>A Girl in the Egyptian Army<p>

Chapter 4

Dishonour and Embarrassment

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><p>When Amarra arrived at home again, she slowly opened the gates that led towards the courtyard and glanced around to see if the coast was clear. When she saw no one she led Kahi through it and on the courtyard. But when she had almost reached the stables, she saw her father come out of the house.<p>

When he saw her, all dressed up, he smiled at her. He even looked a little proud. Tears stung in her eyes and she looked away, again sad and embarrassed. How could she ever face him again? How could he ever be proud of her again? The answer was that he couldn't.

She led Kahi into the stables and waved Chigaru, their stable boy, off when he wanted to take her from her. Understanding that she wanted to take care of Kahi herself, he walked away and left her alone again.

Amarra removed the blanket that was laying over Kahi's back and the bridle before placing her by a water trough that was standing in a small meadow behind the stables.

Kahi drank happily from the water and Amarra glanced at her reflection that the water created. Her eyes were standing sad and she signed. "Look at me. I will never pass as a perfect bride and so I will never pass for a perfect daughter." Kahi snuggled her nose against her arm and Amarra petted her, still looking at her reflection. "Who would ever want to marry someone with red hair?"

She turned her back towards the trough and removed her earrings, the comb in her hair and her necklace. After that she jumped over the meadow fence and glanced towards the house again. Her mother and grandmother had returned and she saw how Zahur took Layla's hand into his and how they both looked down with a saddened look in their eyes.

Signing once again, she turned her back towards the house and walked deeper into the gardens, making her way slowly towards the temple. "I'm not meant to play this part. I never have been and I never will be." Removing the small cage from under her plaid corset, she released the cricket on one of the plants. "You go on, little one. Be free, like I will never be."

The cricket looked sadly after her while she walked on and jumped on the bridge railing and balanced over that. "All I want is to be myself but if I would be myself, I will break my family's heart."

A rather large and colourful bird landed on the large stone dragon statue that was standing close by the small brook that was flowing through their garden. Amarra looked up at it and gave it a sad smile. "Why can I not be myself?" The bird held its head to one side. "Why is it that if I look at my own reflection, I see someone completely different then myself? Why can't I just be normal?"

The bird made a soft, sad noise before flying away again. Amarra turned her head sadly away and walked towards the temple, kneeling down in front of the stones when she had entered it. "I hope everyone can forgive me. I've tried. I really have tried. I've tried to not make a fool of myself. I've tried to keep my family honour high." She signed, closing her eyes and letting her head hang low. "I've tried to hide who I am. But I can't. And if they only know how sorry I am for that." She shook her head softly, now with an unbelieving look in her eyes. "I can't believe I'm actually talking to myself."

She shook her head once more and rubbed the make-up of her face with one of her sleeves and pulling the band out of her hair, freeing her curls from the braid and making it fall freely on her back again.

She glanced at her reflection in the stones for another moment before shaking her head yet again and standing up again. She left the temple and visited one of her most favourite places in the garden: the stone bench under the blossom tree.

The tree was in full bloom and its pink flowers gave a warm and friendly look to whole the garden.

She had always spent a lot of time in the gardens. Even back when she still had been a young girl. Her parents would always find her in the gardens and most of the times under the blossom tree or with the statue of the dragon.

Staring at the rest of the garden with a sad look in her eyes, she played with a single streak of her hair. Twirling it around her finger before letting it go again and repeat the same action over and over again.

The skies, that had first been so bright, sunny and clear, were now covered with dark clouds and it looked like it would start to rain in any second now.

She didn't mind rain. She liked it even more then the sun. The rain was refreshing and brought new life. But as they were in Egypt, the sun was almost always shining and that was quite boring from time to time.

Amarra glanced up when a shadow fell half over her and saw that Zahur had walked up to her. She quickly looked to the other direction, once again feeling like she had failed.

Her father took a seat beside her and for a view minutes an uncomfortable and strange silent fell between them.

Finally Zahur cleared his throat but Amarra still didn't look at him. "My, my. What beautiful blossoms we have this year." Amarra still didn't look at him. "But look." Her father gave her a small elbow to get her attention and then pointed to a single blossom knot that wasn't in bloom yet. "This one is late." Amarra slowly turned her head towards the way he was pointing and saw indeed a small knot that wasn't in bloom yet. "But I bet that when it blooms, it will be the most beautiful of them all."

Amarra looked sadly at her lap, realising what he was trying to say, and shook her head. "I don't think it will."

Zahur signed and placed a hand over her fooled together hands. "Amarra…"

"I think she was right, father. People have always talked behind my back about the fact that I look different." She signed, letting her head hang low again. "Who would ever want to marry someone different with red hair when you can have someone normal with black or brown hair?"

"Do not think so low of yourself," said Zahur. "You're very beautiful. People just have to realise that. It does not matter if you are tanned or pale, or if you have black, brown or red hair. There is no one who looks the same. And you, my daughter, you're the rough diamond in our empire. And the rough diamonds are the ones that all people want because those are the ones that are the most valuable." Amarra glanced up at her father and he gave her a loving smile, while taking the comb out of her hands and placing it in her hair again. "You're still young. There is no hurry. And we will love you no matter what and that makes that we will not want to lose you anytime soon." Amarra finally smiled a little again and embraced her father tightly. Zahur embraced her back. "I love you, Amarra. We all love you. And no matter what will happen, we will always keep loving you."

"I love you too, father."

Suddenly the sound of trumps was heard and Amarra and Zahur broke apart, looking around and listening carefully. More trumps were now heard and from a distant they could also hear the sound of galloping horses.

"Oh no," said Amarra, realising what that probably meant. "Not again."

Zahur stood up and walked towards the gates, he was followed by Amarra. There they met up with Layla and Tefnut, who were already peeking through a crack between the gates to see what was going on outside their house.

Zahur opened the gates further and Amarra looked over her mother's shoulder through the gates too and saw that two soldiers and one councillor of the Pharaoh were sitting on their horses. And more and more people were gathering around them, curious about what was going.

Zahur stepped through the gates and Amarra wanted to follow but Layla stopped her. "No, Amarra. Stay here."

"But mother…"

"Please, darling. Stay inside."

Layla also walked through the gates and joined Zahur while Amarra and Tefnut staid behind. Tefnut however cleared her throat and mentioned that Amarra should climb on one of the roofs of the walls, so she could still watch and hear what was going on.

She didn't need to sign that again because the young redhead woman hurried towards them and climbed unto the roof and glanced over the edge towards the crowd that had now gathered in front of their house.

"Citizens. I bring a proclamation from the Pharaoh. Our enemy Anubis has invaded Egypt with a large army."

There were some gasps and people started to whisper to one another. Amarra shook her head slightly. "Not another war."

"By order of the Pharaoh, one man of every family must serve in the army and they will be trained by His Majesty himself."

Amarra's eyes got now a worried look in them. "Of every family?"

The councillor was starting to read family names and one man after another stepped forward and took the scroll from him, on which was mentioned from what family he was.

And then the name came that made her heart stop for a view seconds. "The Retenu family."

"No…"

Amarra immediately slipped of the roof when she saw that Zahur gave his walking stick to Layla and walked, with effort, to the councillor. The people made immediately way for him. In front of the councillor he stopped and bowed. "I'm ready to serve the Pharaoh."

"Father, no." Amarra ran through the crowd and stopped in front of her father, looking with a pleading look in her eyes to one of the soldiers. "Sir, please. My father has already served in the army. He has already fought…"

"Silence!" snapped the councillor, who came between. "You would do well to teach your daughter to hold her tongue in a man's presence."

Amarra gave him a filthy look. "Oh, please. You're hardly a man."

Gasps were heard and the councillor gave her an angry look back. "Amarra," said Zahur, making the redheaded girl look around at him. "You dishonour me."

"But, father…"

"Go inside. Now."

Amarra didn't move but was forced to take a view steps back when Tefnut walked up to her and took hold of her arm.

"Report tomorrow to the Tarrakum camp," said the councillor, giving Zahur his scroll.

"Yes, sir." After that he just turned around and walked back to his house. When Layla wanted to give him his walking stick back, he however turned it down and just kept walking back to the house.

Amarra and Tefnut joined Layla who looked just as sad as the other two. They all realised one thing very clearly: if Zahur would go to war, he would not come back alive.

* * *

><p>That evening Amarra went to find her father and tell him that dinner was ready, orders from her mother.<p>

She found him in the room where he kept his armour too and she found him holding a sword and practising his techniques.

Peeking around the corner and watching him while he didn't know it, she witnessed how everything went okay for a view moments. And then those moments were over and Zahur gasped while dropping his sword and falling half on the ground.

Amarra quickly placed a hand over her mouth to prevent him hearing her gasp of shock and worry. After that she watched with worried eyes how he tried to get up but couldn't without grapping hold of something.

Taking deep breaths, he leaned against one of the wooden pillars and waited until the pain had passed away.

She pressed her back against the wall and started with teary eyes at the ceiling. This was going to end badly.

She took a deep breathe before walking into the room. "Father, diner is ready." He nodded but didn't say a thing and she turned around again and walked away.

Diner itself wasn't going much better either. Everyone just staid silent while they ate and the only sound you heard was when someone accidently scraped over their plates or when Amarra poured tea into one of their cups.

From a distant you heard thunder rumble and a view flashes every now and then lightened the room a little. The weather was getting angrier and angrier with second and so was Amarra. Her anger was building up inside her and the uncomfortable silence didn't help much either.

Finally she couldn't handle it anymore and she put her cup with a load crash on the table while standing up. "You shouldn't have to go!"

"Amarra," said Layla a little shocked.

But Amarra just went on. "There are plenty of young men that are more the willing to fight! In Ra's Name! This is the first time the Pharaoh has asked for new recruits! The other times he just fought everything himself and with his army!"

Zahur staid calm. "It is an honour to protect my country and my family."

"So you will die for honour?" asked Amarra. "And what will honour bring us when you're dead? Nothing!"

Zahur stood up too, also angry now. "I will die doing what is right!"

"How is fighting in war that isn't yours right? The whole reason why Anubis keeps coming back is to get revenge on the Pharaoh! What has that to do with us? What has that to do with you?"

"And the reason why he wants revenge is because the Pharaoh keeps fighting him to protect the people! To protect us! He would die doing so!"

"But if…"

"I know my place!" yelled Zahur in her face, losing him calmness completely. "And it is time that you learn yours!"

That hurt. Amarra's whole face changed. It turned from anger into shock and from shock into pain. She turned around and ran out of the room and out of the house, throwing the doors hard close behind her again when she had passed through them.

The weather outside was getting even stormier and the wind was setting up now too.

Amarra sobbed softly while she grabbed hold of one of the pillars outside to keep herself standing on her feet. But in the end she just fell on her knees on the ground.

The bird from earlier flew through the air again and landed beside her on the ground, hopping closer and finally resting its head on her lap, again making a soft and sad sound.

Amarra softly stroke its head while crying and staring over their courtyard. "Why?" she whispered. "Why is this happening?"

The bird made the noise again and snuggled even closer to her, placing its long feathered tail around her legs.

Big raindrops started to fall out the sky but Amarra and the bird staid seated on the front porch while staring ahead.

Finally Amarra moved and she stood up, kicking her shoes out and walking into the pouring rain towards the dragon statue. The bird staid behind, making another sad noise before letting its head hang low, making a single tear fall from one of its blue eyes.

Until deep in the night Amarra staid outside, sitting between the front legs of the dragon statue, in the pouring rain. She just thought things over and tried to get her thoughts on one line.

Around an hour before midnight, she saw from a distant her father and mother arguing in front of a window and she saw her father try to comfort her mother but she just walked away. After that her father dimmed the lights and everything in the house went dark.

For two more hours she staid outside and kept thinking things over. The rain had soaked her to the bone by that time and the night brought the cold but she didn't feel it.

And then finally, she looked up again. This time there was a fire and determination in her eyes that there never had been before.

She jumped of the dragon and walked into the temple. There she lighted a candle before running out the temple again and towards the house.

Sneaking into the bedroom of her father and mother, she exchanged the comb with the blossom flower on it for the scroll that her father had gotten and that was laying beside him on his nightstand.

"I'm sorry," she whispered before running out the room again and into the room where his armour was put away.

There she tied her hair together in a tight knot and removed her dress and grabbed a long bandage. She bound that around her torso to make sure her chest looked a little flatter then it originally was and after that she put on the armour.

Every province had a different kind of armour and most of them didn't have any upper pieces. Luckily for her, her father's had. It consisted out of a pair of white wrap pants that reached to just under the knees; a white upper piece without sleeves and a chest protection that was made of thick linseed strips.

Grabbing a view last things and putting that away in saddle bags, she left the house again and walked towards the stables.

Kahi, startled by her appearance, reared and tried to get away from her. She didn't recognize her. Amarra quickly made her way to her and calmed her down, whispering soft things to her. That made Kahi do recognize her.

After saddling her up, she guided her outside and after giving her house one single glance, she jumped on Kahi and galloped away.

A view hours later Tefnut woke up and decided to go and check if Amarra had finally come inside. But when she found her nowhere and when she found out that Kahi was gone too, she hurried towards Zahur and Layla. "Amarra is gone!"

The two woke up immediately. "What?" The first thing that Zahur noticed after that was that his scroll was gone and that Amarra's comb was laying there in its place. "It can't be."

But when he hurried to check on his armour and found it missing, his deepest fear came true. "Oh no." He limped outside, calling out her name, hoping she had just left and would hear him. "Amarra!"

He tripped and fell on the wet ground. Layla came immediately rushing to his side. "You must go after her. She could be killed."

"If I reveal her, she certainly will be."

That made Layla burst out in tears and Zahur took her in his arms, trying to comfort her. Tefnut looked from a distant and closed her eyes. "Ancestors, Gods, please hear our prayer. Watch over Amarra. Make no harm come to her."

Without them knowing it, the ghost of one ancestor came out of his stone and sat down on it. He turned to the small dragon hanger. "Mushu, awaken."

The dragon started to glow and fell on the ground with a lot of noise and a lot of smoke. "I LIVE!" A small red dragon, he looked more like a lizard, moved to stand up. "So tell me what mortal needs my protection, great ancestor. You just say the word and I'm there."

"Mushu."

"'Cause let me say something: anybody who is foolish enough to threaten our family, vengeance will be MINE!"

He growled and walked around, trying to look dangerous. The ancestor rolled his eyes. "Mushu!" Mushu, the dragon, stopped and looked at him. The ancestor mentioned towards four stones that were set on wooden planks close to the ceiling. "These are the family guardians. They –"

Mushu looked a little down. "– protect the family."

"And you, oh demoted one?"

He mentioned towards an empty plank and the dragon looked even more down. "I ring the gong."

"That's right. Now wake up the ancestors."

Mushu signed and picked up a gong and a pole. "One family reunion coming right up." He started to slam the pole against the gong. "Okay, people! People, look alive! Come on, get up! Get moving! Rise and shine! You're all way past your beauty sleep! Trust me."

More stones started to glow blue and more ghosts of the ancestors appeared. "I knew it," said one of them immediately. "I knew it. That Amarra was a trouble maker from the start. We should never have taken it upon us to protect her. She isn't even our own flesh and blood!"

"Don't look at me. I never agreed with it."

"She is just trying to look after her father."

"If she is discovered, the Retenu family will be forever shamed. Dishonour will come to the family. Traditional values will disintegrate."

"Not to mention they will lose the farm."

"My children never caused such trouble. They all did what was expected from them."

"Well, we can't all be such saints."

"No, but your great-granddaughter had to be so badly a cross dresser."

The ancestors started to argue with each other. "Let a guardian bring her back."

"Yeah." One of them grabbed Mushu and pointed him towards the statue of a monkey. "Awake the most conning."

"No." Another snatched Mushu out of his hands and pointed him towards the statue of a falcon. "The quickest."

"No." He was snatched out of another ancestors' hands and pointed him towards the statue of an owl. "Send the wisest."

"Silent!" Mushu was dropped and fell on the ground. "We must send the most powerful of all."

"Okay, okay," laughed Mushu, climbing gone the empty plank. "I will get it. I will go." Everyone started to laugh. "What? You don't think I can do it? Watch this." He spit out a tiny flame. "Hah! Made you jump back, eh? I'm pretty hot."

"You had your chance to protect the Retenu family."

"And your misguides let to disaster."

"Yeah," said a ghost who had his head under his arm. "Thanks a lot."

"And your point is?" asked Mushu.

"The point is that we will be sending a real dragon to retrieve Amarra."

"What?" Mushu looked angry. "I'm a real dragon!"

He was snatched of the plank. "You're not worthy of this spot! Now go and awaken the stone dragon!"

He was thrown out the temple but he came back and glanced around the corner. "Will you consider taking me back on the job then?"

His gong was thrown against him and threw him back. After recovering from that, he grabbed the gong and walked down the stairs, looking rather moody. "One chance, is that too much asked for? It's not likely that it will kill you." Reaching the statue of the dragon, he started to slam on the gong. "Oi, rocky! Wake up! You got to go fetch Amarra!" There came no response and Mushu walked, again with a moody face, in front of him. "Come on, boy! Go get her! Go on!" He threw his pole away, whistled and slapped his knees, in a try to get him to move. "Go get her! Come on!" Again, nothing happened.

Mushu pulled again a moody face and climbed higher, coming finally face to face. He growled at him but again, nothing happened. Climbing towards his ear, he started to yell. "Hello." Nothing happened. "Hello." Again nothing. "Hello!" He hit the ear hard with his gong and it fell off. Startled by that he let the gong fall and grabbed the ear, trying to get it back on the statue. But something was breaking and crumbling. "Oh oh."

The statue crumbled into hundred pieces and when the dust pulled back, Mushu saw that only the head had remained unharmed, except the missing ear. "Stoney? Hey, stoney?" He started to shake in fright. "Oh man, they are going to kill me."

"Great stone dragon!" was called from out the temple. "Have you awakened?"

Mushu started to panic but quickly realised that in order to make sure they didn't kill him, he had to make sure they didn't find out. So he grabbed the head, holding it up, hiding after a view bushes to prevent them seeing that it was him acting like the stone dragon. "Yes, I have just awakened. I'm the great stone dragon. Good morning. I will go fast and fetch Amarra. Did I mention I was the great stone dragon?"

"Go. The fate of the Retenu family rests in your claws."

"Oh, don't you even worry about it. I will not lose faith." Mushu lost balance and fell down the hill again, landing on one of the stones that had once formed the statue and the head of the dragon landed on him again. "Oh, au! My elbow. That hurt. I know I twisted something." With a lot of effort, he threw the head of him. "That's just great. Now what? I'm doomed. And all because Miss Man decided to take a little drag show on the road."

Suddenly the cricket Amarra had released jumped on the head of the stone dragon and started to chirp. "Go get her?" asked Mushu. "What's the matter with you? After this great stone humpty dumpty mess I've to bring her home with a medal to get back in the temple." His eyes widened when he got an idea. "Wait a minute." He turned back to the cricket. "That's it! I'll make Amarra a war hero and they will be begging me to come back to work. That's the master plan! Oh, you've done it now, man!"

Mushu ran off and the cricket jumped after him, chirping again. "Oh, and what makes you think you're coming."

The cricket chirped again. "You're lucky?" Mushu laughed. "Do I look like a sucker to you?"

The cricket chirped again. "What do you mean 'a loser'?" The cricket jumped off, Mushu ran after him. "How about I pop one of your antennas off and sweep the courtyard with it? Then we will see who the loser it, me or you."


	6. Harder Than Thought

**Hello there everyone!**

**How have you all been? Good, bad? I hope no one has been ill.**

**Thank you for all the reviews, once again. I think This is kind of getting a habit, thanking you all for the reviews. But I really love them.**

**Anyway, I'm back with chapter 5! **

**The meeting between Atemu and Amarra has arrived. And it isn't very friendly. **

**By the way, do you guys think I should change the rate to M? People are going to die and I will describe their deaths too. Let me know what you think about it and what you think about this chapter and my story so far.**

**Have fun reading and I will update a new chapter on Thurseday.**

**XxX Emmetje.**

* * *

><p>A Girl in the Egyptian Army<p>

Chapter 5

Harder Than Thought

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><p>Anubis was sitting on his horse and was galloping through the Egyptian landscape. His army followed him, also on their horses, and the black haired woman was riding beside him.<p>

They had already visited many villages and destroyed them all and they had left no survivors. Why would they? They would be to no use to them after all.

After riding for a while, the woman suddenly stopped. That made Anubis stop too and he ordered his army to stop too. "What is it?"

The woman sniffed in the air, before grinning and looking at a tree they had just passed. Anubis gave a signal and three of his men jumped off their horses and towards the tree. They came back with two soldiers and threw them on the ground.

"Scouts," said one of his men. "Probably sent by the Pharaoh."

The two men crawled a little back, looking very afraid. Anubis jumped of his horse and walked closer to them. With every step he took, the fear in their eyes grew. The woman moved gracefully also of her horse and slid closer. It almost looked like she was floating over the ground.

Anubis' hawk landed on his shoulder and eyed the two men dangerously. His master stopped in front of them and went through his knees, so he was on eye level with them. "Good work, gentlemen. You found me and my army."

From behind him, his men laughed. "The Pharaoh will stop you," said one of the men in a try to act brave. "Like he always does."

Anubis stood up normally. "Is that so?" He grabbed the soldier who had spoken by his throat and lifted him up in the air. "Shall I tell you something? Everything I do and all the people I kill, you can blame him for. He challenged me. He humiliated me. I'm a God and I don't like it when humans humiliate me. And that's why I'm here. To make him pay."

"He will stop you," said the other soldier.

"Will he now? We'll see about that." Anubis threw the soldier he had had in his grip on the ground. "Tell your Pharaoh to send his strongest army. We're ready and stronger then ever before. And also tell him that we've another thing on our hand. Something he can't stop."

"And what might that be?"

"Me," said the woman. "And I would gladly demonstrate how I work."

"You wanted us to send him a message," stuttered one of them.

"And how many men does it take to deliver a message?" grinned Anubis.

"One," answered the woman. "To which one do you want to give a demonstration?"

Anubis pointed to the man that he hadn't nearly choked to death. "Him."

The woman grinned evilly. She moved towards them, again in the floating kind of way and she moved behind the man that he been grabbed by the throat.

In a flash she had forced him on his knees and she had pushed his head back in his neck. The man tried to struggle and get away from her but found that he didn't have the power to do that. He couldn't even move a muscle.

She then pressed one single hand against his face and it was then that his face became pale and his eyes widened. His body started to shake violently and all the veins in his veins came to the surface, making you see all of them very clearly.

"Stop! What are you doing?" yelled the other soldier.

But the woman didn't stop. She just kept pressing her hand against his face and the man kept shaking and shaking and then… He stopped.

The woman let him go and he fell on the ground, lifeless and with his eyes still widened in fear. It looked like he had truly been scared to death.

The other man was shaking now violently too and looked even more afraid at her then he had looked at Anubis.

The woman took a deep breathe in and then breathed almost joyfully out. "Oh, he was still young. Those taste the best." Her black eyes looked at the remaining soldier. "What are you waiting for? You've a message to deliver. Or do you want me to do the same thing to do?"

The soldier stumbled on his feet and ran away, making Anubis and his men laughing at him as he did so.

"I'm not that scary, am I?" asked the woman sweetly.

"Where have you been all this time, Sacmis?" asked Anubis.

The woman got a dark and almost hatred look in her eyes. "Preying on the woman you will help me to kill. Finally."

* * *

><p>Kahi was laying on the ground and was nibbling on a sprit while looking at Amarra who was standing in front of her and who was still dressed as a man.<p>

"Okay, how about this?" She cleared her throat. "Excuse me, where do I sign in? Ha, I see you have a sword. I've one too. They are very manly and…" She tried to pull it out but failed and it fell on the ground, right on her foot. "Au!" she yelped while limping around, grapping her hurt foot with her hands.

Kahi neighed in a laughing way and this angered Amarra a little. She grabbed the slipper from her hurt foot and threw it against Kahi's head, who immediately stopped neighing.

"I'm still working on it and you're not helping at all." She signed, putting her slipper back on and walking towards the edge of the hill where they were hiding at. At the foot of it there was the camp she needed to report. "Who am I fooling? It's going to take a miracle to get me into the army."

"DID I HEAR SOMEONE ASK FOR A MIRACLE?"

Amarra looked around and gave a yelp when she saw fire and smoke and a large shadow that looked a lot like a dragon.

"Let me hear you say 'ah'!"

Amarra dodged away, screaming: "AGH!"

"That's close enough."

"It's a ghost," breathed Amarra out, hiding behind a rock together with Kahi.

"Get ready to line yourself in team. Your serpentine salvation is at hand, for I've been send by your ancestors to –" Amarra frowned when she saw another shadow and this one was looking like a cricket that was making the head of a dragon with its front legs. The first shadow pushed the other shadow away. "– guide you through your masquerade." The fire grew. "So heed my word, cause if the army finds out that you're a girl, the penalty will be DEATH!" The fire grew again.

"Who are you?"

"Who am I? **WHO** am **I**? I am the guardian of the lost souls! I am the powerful, the pleasurable, the indestructible –" A tiny red dragon walked from behind the stone and the shadow and the fire disappeared. "– Mushu." Amarra pulled a face, not really expecting this. "I'm pretty hot, eh?"

Kahi jumped towards him and started to dance with her front legs on the small dragon. Amarra quickly patted her neck and made her stop. After that she kneeled down in front of it and picked it up. "Uh, my family's ancestors send a little lizard to help me?"

She poked him a little and Mushu slapped her hand away. "Hey, dragon. Dra-gon. Not lizard. I don't do that tongue thing."

He gave an example and Amarra concluded that he did do that tongue thing. "You're –"

Mushu climbed into the branches of a large bush. "Intimidating? Awe-inspiring?"

"– tiny."

"Of course. I'm travel sized for you your convenient. If I were my real size your cow here –" He petted Kahi on her nose. "– would die of fright." Kahi tried to bite him and he quickly pulled his hand back before pointing down towards the ground. "Down, Betsy." He climbed out of the branches and on Amarra's shoulder. "Hey, my powers are beyond your mortal imagination." He climbed back into the bush. "For example, my eyes can see straight through your armour."

His eyes landed on her chest and Amarra pulled a face before giving him a bitch slap, which made him fly through the air and land on the ground. "You creep!"

"Au. That hurt." Then Mushu jumped up again. "Alright, that's it! Dishonour! Dishonour on your whole family." He looked at a very familiar cricket beside him. "Make a note of this." The cricket grabbed a small leaf. "Dishonour on you. Dishonour on your cow. Dis… AI!"

The bird that had visited Amarra before, had attacked Mushu and had pinned him to the ground and was opening its beak. "Phoenix, no!" The bird looked around at her. "Come here." The bird flew up and landed on her shoulder.

"Dishonour on your creepy bird!"

The bird opened its beak again and shot a blast of fire towards him. "Phoenix!" said Amarra, looking rather annoyed while placing her hands on her hips. The bird made an apologetic sound before flying up into a tree. Amarra kneeled down in front of Mushu. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm just nervous. I've no idea how men act and so I've no idea how I should act."

"Then you're gonna have to trust me," said Mushu. "And don't you slap me no more. Be clear on that?" Amarra nodded. "Alright." Then he clapped in his hands. "Oki-dokay, let's get this show on the road. Cri-kee, get the bags." He walked past them and was moving towards the camp.

Amarra gave a desperate sign. "I'm so going to be in trouble." She looked up at the tree. "You stay here, clear?" The bird nodded and Amarra gave another sign. "Let's go."

After walking for a view minutes they reached the camp and Amarra glanced around the corner of its protecting walls. There were tents everywhere and men were walking around half naked and were busy doing all kind of stuff like sharpening swords, making arrows or cleaning their armours.

Mushu, who had climbed under her armour so he would stay out of sight but still would be able to help her, leaned on her shoulder with his forelegs. "Okay, this is it. Time to show them your man walk."

"I've a man walk?"

"Yes, girl. You've to have a man walk. Now, shoulders back, chest high, knees apart, head high."

Amarra did what he said but did it with an uncomfortable look. She felt out of balance. "This feels really weird."

"That's because you're not used to it. Let's go." Amarra walked into the camp, feeling like a complete idiot. "One, two, three, four. One, two three, four."

"Mushu, I don't think this is how I need to walk. They're staring at me."

"That's because you're a redhead and they are not used to seeing redheads."

When they were walking between the tents and out of sight, Amarra stopped with walking strange and just walked in the way she found comfortable.

"Take a good look," said Mushu when they walked past a tent with open canvases so they could look inside. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

Amarra pulled her nose up. She saw a man who was picking his nose and eating it and there was a man who was cleaning the spaces between his toes with his fingers and eating some food while doing so, with the same hand. "Now I know for certain that I will never want to get married. They're disgusting."

"No, they are men. And you will have to act just like them so pay attention." He turned her head so she was looking straight ahead again.

"Look." She stopped when she nearly bumped into three other guys. One of them was showing the two others a tattoo of a red dragon that he had on his belly. "This tattoo will protect me from harm."

The small muscular guy with black sideburns and a permanent blue eye, looked at the other guy who was very skinny before giving the guy with a tattoo a hard bunch in his belly. The skinny guy laughed. "I hope you can get your money back."

"I don't think I can do this," said Amarra with a desperate look on her face.

"It is all attitude," said Mushu, who came up again for a second. "Be tough like this guy here."

He mentioned towards the muscular guy who was just spitting on the ground. Amarra pulled her nose up again and it was then that he noticed her. She quickly let the gross face fall but he still looked threatening at her. "What are you looking at?"

"Punch him," said Mushu in her ear. "That's how man say hello."

Amarra pulled her hand in a fist and gave the muscular guy a hard punch, which caused him to end up against the belly of another men. This one was very tall and rather big. "Oh, Yafeu," he said while lifting him up a little and putting him down again. "You made a friend."

"Good. Now slap him from behind. He will like that," whispered Mushu.

"Are you sure about that?" whispered Amarra back.

"Just do it, girl."

"I must be crazy," muttered Amarra before slapping the muscular guy from behind.

"Oh!" The guy turned around and didn't look very pleased. He grabbed hold of her upper piece and pulled her closer to him, so they were face to face. "I'm going to hit you so hard that it will make your ancestors dizzy."

The big guy lifted him up again. "Yafeu, relax. And chant with me." Amarra held her head slightly curious to one side while watching the two chant. At first the muscular guy was angry but after that he relaxed. "Feel better?"

"Yeah…" The muscular guy was put back on his feet again. "Ah, he ain't worth my time." Amarra gave a relieved sign while turning around, happy that it was over. "Chicken boy."

"Chicken boy?" yelled Mushu, coming back up again. "Say that to my face, you limp piece of grass."

Before Amarra knew what was going on, she was pulled back and saw that the muscular guy had grabbed her again and wanted to hit her. She quickly managed to dodge and so the muscular guy ended up hitting his skinny friend. The guy fell after three hits on the ground. "Oops. Sorry, Luzige." Amarra tried to crawl away but was caught by her foot. "Hey!"

This time she was saved by the skinny guy who gave the muscular guy a hard kick, sending him again into the belly of the big guy, causing him to fall on the ground. The skinny guy also jumped on his belly and there he started to fight with the muscular guy.

Amarra had meanwhile stumbled back on her feet and was trying to get away. "There he goes!" She turned around to see the skinny guy point at her. She quickly ran into the tent that was closest to her and hid in there. She saw the other three running into the tent too but they ran right passed her and at the other end, out of the tent again.

After they had left she glanced through the two canvases and saw how the muscular guy and the skinny guy were able to stop just in time before they ran right into a row of soldiers who were waiting to get some food. The big guy, however, ran right into them and sent them all to the ground, including all the food.

Amarra got an uncomfortable look on her face and that look became even more uncomfortable when they all turned to her and were walking towards her, ready to beat the hell out of her. "I knew this was a bad idea."

* * *

><p>Atemu was sitting in his tent and was listening to three of his generals and the reports they were making. They were sitting on the other side of the table he was sitting on and on that table there was a map.<p>

When they were done talking, he rubbed with his fingers over his chin. "The situation is worse then I thought. And this news over that woman… I don't like it at all."

"Do you want us to evacuate the cities he will likely pass?" asked one of the three generals.

"No. That will alarm him only more. What we need is the element of surprise." He pointed to three different areas. "He and his men have struck here, here and here. They are making their way towards the Palace, destroying every village and city they meet on their way. You three will take the main troops to these three cities." He pointed at three large cities. "He will most defiantly pass them and he will not pass them without trying to destroy them. Wait there for him and his men. I doubt you will manage to stop him completely but making his army smaller is now the first thing on our minds."

"Excellent strategy, Sire," said Hakizimana, who had unfortunately come with him. "I do love surprises."

Atemu gave him a look that told him to shut up and so he did. "Anubis will expect something and he will not go down without a fight. Ready your men for that, gentlemen. All your men. This is going to be a though war to win."

"What will you do, Sire?"

"Like the plan was from the beginning: I will stay here and train the new recruits. When they have finished their training, we will marsh towards you. Preferred here." He pointed at the desert gape, right between Luxor and one of the smaller cities, Alabaster. It was the fastest way to reach the Palace. "We'll attack them from different sides. The large hills will give good cover. We will use them to gain again the element of surprise."

"Again, excellent strategy, Your Majesty." Atemu gave Hakizimana another look to tell him to keep his mouth shut.

"When can we expect you to join us, Your Highness?"

"Three months minimal, five months maximal, I hope. How longer we wait, how more we give the advantage to Anubis. And that's what it is all about: our advantage." He stood up. "Don't take this personally but the sooner you leave, gentlemen, the better."

The three generals stood up too and bowed. "Yes, Sire."

Two of them left the tent but the one who had also reported that Anubis had crossed their borders, staid behind for a moment. "Are you certain you want to go through with training the new recruits yourself, my King?"

"Absolutely." He walked together with him, and followed by Hakizimana, towards the tar plains. "No need to worry, General. I'm sure I'll manage just fine and that they will show the discipline and determination we will need."

On that moment they walked through the tar plains and saw that their new recruits were entangled in a huge fight.

"Oh yes," said Hakizimana. "I can see how disciplined and determinate they are."

One of the men walked towards them, looking like he had half a concussion. He missed a couple of teeth and had two blue eyes. He grinned a little sheepishly while trying to bow but failed in doing so and fell unconscious on the ground.

Atemu signed. "This might be harder then I thought." He turned to the General again. "Good luck."

"You too, Sire." He bowed before walking off.

Atemu waited until all three Generals were on their horses and had left the camp, followed by their men, before he turned to his new recruits. "Soldiers!" The men stopped fighting and looked at him. "What in Ra's name is going on here?"

They immediately made way and pointed to one and the same person. "He started it!"

Atemu looked at the person to who they were pointing. It was a young man that was on the ground, on his knees and who had covered his head with his arms. He walked slowly towards that person and stopped right in front of him.

The young man slowly lowered his arms and much to his surprise he saw two emerald green orbs look up at him. Two green eyes that were placed in a pale skinned face. He was even more surprised when the young man stumbled on his feet. The boy had red hair.

Atemu frowned slightly. There was something extraordinary about this young man. Something different. But he couldn't place his finger on it.

* * *

><p>Amarra couldn't help but feel happy when the fight finally stopped by someone yelling: "Soldiers! What in Ra's name is going on here?" That person would probably never find out how grateful she would be for him interrupting the fight.<p>

Their shadows disappeared over her and she heard all the men say: "He started it!"

A new shadow fell over her and she slowly lowered her arms a little, glancing up and meeting two violet eyes that belonged to none other then the Pharaoh himself.

She saw the surprise in them and she saw that surprise grow only more when she stumbled on her feet and dusted herself off. She also saw a frown on his face.

"So you're the one who started this fight."

"I…"

He leaned closer to her and she leaned back, finding this too intimidating. There was authority written all over his face. He demanded respect and disciple with just looking at you. "I don't need anyone causing even more trouble then I already have with this upcoming war. And especially not in my camp."

Amarra swallowed. "Sorry."

"What are you doing, girl? Show him that you're a man," whispered Mushu in her ear.

Amarra swallowed again and tried a voice that sounded a little heavier. "I didn't mean to cause trouble. I just had some manly urges. Those when you just got to hit something." She was getting more and more nervous under his stare. He was giving her the feeling like he could see right through her and that he didn't buy anything of her little act.

"What's your name?" asked the Pharaoh, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"My name?" Amarra was taken back by that and let her deeper voice go. She hadn't thought of a man's name yet. "I… I…"

"Your King just asked you a question," said the exact same councillor that she had insulted by accident when he had brought the news of the upcoming war.

"How about Luzige?" asked Mushu.

"Luzige is his name," whispered Amarra back, glancing at the skinny man.

"I didn't ask for his name," said the Pharaoh, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Achoo?" whispered Mushu.

"Achoo."

The Pharaoh raised an eyebrow. "Achoo?"

"Gosundheid," laughed Mushu. "Oh, I can kill myself."

"Mushu," hissed Amarra annoyed.

"Mushu?" asked the Pharaoh, now getting really annoyed.

"No!"

"Then what is it?"

"Wati," blurted Amarra out.

"Wati?" asked Mushu. "What kind of name is…"

He was silenced when Amarra did like she was scratching her neck but in truth she just grabbed his head. "My name is Wati."

The Pharaoh still looked like he didn't buy it. "Let me see your scroll." Amarra quickly grabbed the scroll and gave it to him. "Zahur Retenu." He frowned. "_**The**_ Zahur Retenu?"

"I didn't know Zahur Retenu had a son," said the councillor.

"He doesn't really talk about me much."

The councillor snorted. "And I can see why. You're almost as lunatic as your sister."

The men around her laughed and Amarra narrowed her eyes. "Hey, you…"

"That's enough, Hakizimana," interrupted the Pharaoh. "Okay, men. Thanks to your new friend Wati you will spend tonight picking up every single piece of food and you will make sure that the ones that are destroyed get replaced by new ones. And tomorrow, the real work begins."

Amarra glanced over her shoulder and saw the men look angry at her. "You know," said Mushu. "We've got to work on your people skills."

"My what?" she hissed. She looked angry at him. "You're the one who caused all of this!" She stiffened when the Pharaoh looked over his shoulder at her, giving her a look before walking back into his tent. "This is harder then I thought it would be."


	7. The Training Starts

**Hey there, everyone!**

**I'm back with Chapter 6. I know you all hope that things will get easier for Amarra. The answer is no. Not in this chapter at least. That might take another two chapters.**

**Anyway, the first training day has arrived and that's going to be though on her and probably everyone else too. There is also some chemistry between Atemu and Amarra. You will notice that yourself. **

**Thank you for all the reviews again and thank you for helping me out with the rate. I'm a little insecure most of the times. Aren't we all?**

**The rating will stay like it is and I'm still working on the last chapter of this story but I can't get it right. I'm still wondering if I shouldn't go a little more in detail or just... And there I will stop. Keeps you guys wondering, doesn't it? ;)**

**I will update again on Monday. Have fun reading and please let me know what you think.**

**XxX Emmetje**

**ps. I've put a picture on my profile of Phoenix, just in case you want to know what the bird looks like. I found it too hard to really describe her completely. I hope you will notice why.**

* * *

><p>A Girl in the Egyptian Army<p>

Chapter 6

The Training Starts

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><p>Amarra had set up her tent as far away from the rest of the camp as possible. Not only to make sure that the men wouldn't discover that she was a woman but also to make sure she was on a safe distance in case they had any revenge plans.<p>

After trying to escape from them while helping to clean everything up, she had looked up her bed and had fallen asleep immediately. And she was still fast asleep.

Cri-kee had wrapped itself up in one of her slippers and Kahi was tied up against the tree where her tent was standing by.

Amarra herself was laying on a small mat with a pillow and a blanket on it and was mumbling things in her sleep. She had freed her hair and that was now a completely mess.

Her peaceful sleep was interrupted by Mushu, who had grabbed Cri-kee and wind him up so he started to make noise. She opened her eyes and looked sleepily at Mushu, who was grinning like a maniac. "Rise and shine, sleeping beauty. Come on. Hop, hop, hop."

He knocked on her head but it wasn't helping much. She just groaned and hid her head under her blanket. Only to lose it to Mushu when he pulled it away. "Oh! Cold!" she shivered.

"Come on. Get your clothes on. Get ready. I've made breakfast for you!"

Amarra groaned again, rubbing her eyes. "Mushu, I'm tired. Let me sleep."

"No can do, honey." She sat up slowly and went with her hand through her messy hair. "Look." Mushu jumped on her knee, now wearing a white apron with a pink flower on it. "I made you some eggs and some bacon. And they're smiling at you." The eggs and the bacon he had placed on a plate in a smiling face. Cri-kee jumped on the plate. "Eh! What are you doing there?" Mushu slapped him off the plate. "You're going to make people sick."

The realization of where she was and why she was there sank in by Amarra. "Am I late?" she mumbled, still half asleep.

"No time to talk," said Mushu, while starting to cram her mouth full with breakfast. "Now remember, it's your first day of training so listen to your teacher and no fighting. Play nice with other kids unless of course one of the kids wanna fight then you kick the other kid's butt."

"But I don't want to kick the other kid's butt."

"Don't talk with your mouth full. Now let's see your war face." Amarra just blinked a couple of times with her eyes, still with her mouth crammed full. "Oh, I think my bunny slippers just ran for cover." He threw the plate aside. "Come on, scare me, girl!"

Amarra swallowed her breakfast and let out a loud growl, sending Mushu back. "Yeah! That's my though looking warrior! That's what I'm talking about!" He grabbed the band and in a view swift moves he had bound her hair together in a knot. "Now get out there and make me proud!" Kahi looked through the canvas opening and neighed a view things. "What do you mean the troops just left?"

"What?" gasped Amarra, immediately completely awake. She put her training suite on as fast as she could and stumbled so fast outside that she pushed the stocks of her tent over and it went completely to the ground. But she was out of it by that time and pulled her slippers on before racing towards the camp.

Reaching the place where the other men were standing, she saw them giving her nasty looks and knew they hadn't forgotten about the previous day yet.

"Well good morning, Wati," said Luzige. "Are you hungry?"

"Uh, not really…"

"That's too bad," said Yafeu, grabbing hold of the top piece of her trainings suite. "I owe you a knuckle sandwich."

Amarra pressed her hands against her face, waiting for what would come. But it never came as Yafeu's revenge was stopped by someone yelling: "Soldiers!"

Yafeu let her go and Amarra was once again in debt with the Pharaoh for coming, unknowingly, to her rescue.

Everyone immediately stand in line and Amarra was among then. Only she was standing between two men with rather large bellies so she couldn't see him. She leaned a little forward and saw that he wasn't wearing any shirt. Boy, that man had some muscles! She felt her cheeks head up and quickly straightened her back again.

"You'll assemble swiftly and silently every morning." He placed a quiver over his shoulder and took a bow in his other hand. "Anyone who acts otherwise will answer to me."

"Ooh. Tough guy," muttered Yafeu.

"Yafeu," said the Pharaoh, taking aim. Everyone immediately took a step back so his aim was focussed on Yafeu and Yafeu alone. But before he really shot the arrow, he aimed it higher and it landed on the top of a long wooden pole that was standing in the camp. "Thank you for volunteering. Retrieve the arrow."

Yafeu bowed but muttered while walking towards the pole: "I will retrieve that arrow, pretty boy. And I will do it with my shirt on."

Just before he wanted to start climbing, the Pharaoh stopped him again. "One moment. You seem to be missing something." He snapped his fingers and Hakizimana walked towards them, carrying a box. It looked rather heavy. The Pharaoh opened the box and took out two large weights that were tied on two black bands. "This represents discipline." He held up one of Yafeu's arm while putting one of the bands around his wrist. "And this represents strength." He placed the other band on his wrist too, sending Yafeu to the ground.

Yafeu's friend, Luzige and Chike, laughed and Amarra bit her lip, trying to hide her uncomfortable look.

"You will need both to reach the arrow," went the Pharaoh on. "So, Yafeu. If you will please give us a demonstration of how it is done."

Yafeu took a deep sign and jumped on the pole, only crawling a little further up before being pulled down again by the weights on his wrists.

"Luzige, you're next."

Luzige's laughter disappeared as soon as the Pharaoh had spoken those words. He took the weights over from Yafeu and started to climb the pole but didn't come much further then Yafeu had.

"Chike."

Chike came after Luzige and did come a little further before also falling back to the ground, making the ground shake a little.

Every single man had to do the same thing and none came very far. None ended up catching the arrow.

"Wati."

Amarra jumped a little when her boys name was called out and walked quickly towards the pole, taking the weights from the man who had climbed it before her. She was the last who had to climb the pole and she had a strong feeling that the Pharaoh hoped that at least one of his recruits would make it to the top.

But she failed him, just like everyone else. She didn't even make it very far before the weights made her crash to the ground again. Removing them quickly she walked back towards the others, pressing her hands against her back and backside with a painful face.

The Pharaoh signed. "We've got a long way to go." He grabbed a view smaller poles and threw them towards them.

Amarra had the bad luck to end up standing beside Yafeu who caught not one but two poles. She gave him an angry look and placed her hands on her hips. But just catching her pole wasn't the only thing he did. He made sure that he floored her with it before throwing it in front of her.

Amarra gave a deep sign and picked the pole up before climbing back on her feet, feeling her backside hurt only more.

"During your training, these poles will act as your swords." The Pharaoh grabbed another pole and held it horizontal in front of him. "When I'm through with you –" He used the pole to grab two jars and throw them up in the sky. While they went up and down again, he turned the pole a view times fast in his hands and destroyed the two jars by using again the pole when they were on his level again. The men in front of him, including Amarra, gasped a little and had watched it with half open mouth. "– you will be able to do that with your eyes closed. But first we start with basics."

He held his pole again horizontal in front of him and they followed, doing the same. After that he showed them a view more techniques and they repeated the move he did.

Amarra tried to pay attention and store the information somewhere, so she wouldn't forget, and she also tried to not make the Pharaoh angry by doing something stupid. But when she felt something walk over her back in her clothes, she started to move to get away from it and get it out of her clothes, forgetting completely that was standing in a group and that she was holding a pole.

This caused her to use by accident the pole and she nearly made everyone in the group fall on the ground. Amarra still tried to get whatever was in her clothes out, even when everyone else was laying on the ground.

She felt that she hit another person with the pole and then, she finally felt how the thing in her clothes, left. Taking a relieved sign, she turned around to come face to face with the Pharaoh, who didn't look pleased at all. He also had one hand pressed against his belly, making Amarra realise that it had been him who she had hit as last.

He snatched the pole out of her hands and leaned again closer. Amarra leaned back, already raising her arms a little in case he was going to hit her, and looked very uncomfortable and even scared. "You must be the saddest bunch I've ever met," snapped the Pharaoh, making Amarra shrink a little. "And it's going to take a lot of work, but in the end –" He grabbed her by her shirt and gave her a threatening look. "– I'll make a man out of you."

Amarra swallowed and was shaking a little when he finally let go of her again and pushed the pole in her hands. "Everyone, back on your feet! We will start all over again!"

There were some grumbles and Amarra looked down when she got nasty looks of all the men around her again.

After practising with the poles for a view hours, they learned to use another weapon: the bow. The Pharaoh showed once again what the meaning was. They all had three fruits on a plank that was laying over a stone in front of their feet. The meaning was to launch the fruits and to shoot at them with three arrows at the same time and making the arrows hit the targets that were painted on the trunk of a tree that was standing in front of them.

When the Pharaoh gave the example of how it was supposed to go, it went perfect with him. But when they tried, they all failed miserably.

And just when Amarra was going to shoot, Mushu appeared from out her quiver and put the fruit already on her arrow so she would only have to hit the right target.

He wanted to help her and show the Pharaoh that she could do something, but opposite happened as he saw the fruit on her arrow and gave her a stern look, which made her grin a little sheepish and sign in defeat when he walked on after snatching the arrow out of her hands.

She didn't impress him much either when she tried it without Mushu's help. It went even worse because when she shot, he had been talking to his councillor and she had gotten once again pranced on by one of the other recruits and that had made the arrow she had just shot, pierce itself through the hat on the councillor's head, making Hakizimana dislike her even more.

The last thing they had to do before they were aloud to stop, eat and get some sleep, was maybe the one she hated most of all.

One of them got a bucket of water on their head and a pole in their hands and the others would throw stones at the person with the bucket on its head. That person had to make sure the stones didn't hit him while keeping the bucket with water balanced on his head.

Again when the Pharaoh showed them how it was done, he managed to do it just fine and making it look like a piece of cake.

Amarra, however, quickly find out that that wasn't the case as she was the one who got the bucket of water on her head as the very first. It was already hard for her to keep the bucket balanced on her head and she wasn't very good with the pole either, but things were even more in her disadvantage as the other recruits were still mad at her and just loved throwing stones at her as hard as they could.

Already after the first stone the bucket of water fell over her head, making all the water in it fall over her, and a view stones hit her quite hard. She managed to hit one, making it send back to the ones that had thrown them to her.

And when she pushed the bucket up a little, to see what had happened, she saw again that the Pharaoh was looking rather stern at her, making her realise immediately that she had almost hit him, again.

She was all too happy when she was able to pull herself back in her tent after the night had fallen. There Mushu examined the bruises she had gotten. "Ouch, those look like they must hurt."

"You think?" snapped Amarra, pulling her shirt over her head again. "It's just the first day and I've already everyone as my enemy."

"Cheer up, girl," tried Mushu. "You aren't the only one who is doing rubbish. No one is doing a good job. Some are even doing worse then you."

"But somehow I'm the only one who keeps getting on the bad side of the Pharaoh," signed Amarra, looking sadly down at her hands. "The guy practically can't stand the sight of me."

"You take everything he says too personal," said Mushu. "Don't believe everything, girl. You aren't spineless or a sad bunch or a pathetic lot. You're pale though… Anyway, you shouldn't take it personal. He just saying that to get to you."

Amarra let her fall on her back, pulling a painful face when she felt all her bruises ache. "Well, it's working." She signed. "Maybe I should just give up…"

"Absolutely not!" protested Mushu. "It is just your first day! You can't already give up on your first day! Do you want to give those guys that? To give it to them that they bullied you away?"

"Mushu, if things keep going on like this I will not even survive this training, let alone the war itself."

Mushu grabbed hold of her shirt. "They are men and they are humiliating you! Do you want to give them that? I thought you were the woman who didn't let men walk over her!"

Amarra pushed him aside and crawled out of her tent. "Not now, Mushu. Just leave me be right now. I'm going to take a walk."

While Mushu started after her from out the opening of the tent, he signed and turned to Cri-kee and Kahi. "That Pharaoh has got her scared to death and not only her but everyone else too." He shook his head. "My poor girl."

* * *

><p>"They're a disaster!"<p>

"It has just been the first day. Give them some credit."

"Credit? The only one I give credit is you for trying to get them to do things right!"

Atemu signed and rubbed his eyes, not really feeling like talking to Hakizimana and especially not over the first training day.

He had hoped a view of them would at least show a little potential but until this far no one had shown anything except disappointment.

"And that Wati is the worst of them all! The boy is not only a lunatic but a complete klutz and idiot too!"

Atemu didn't say anything. He had been very harsh to the boy. Too harsh maybe. But there was still something to him that was different. And whenever he did something wrong, he had looked so sad and so fragile and innocent. It sting things in him and that had him bothered.

"You should send him home this very instant!"

"I'm saying this again, Hakizimana. We've been only training for one day. We can not make decisions about who stays and who goes after one day."

"You should send them all home, Majesty. They're no sons. They look more like daughters!"

"We need more men."

"The men we already have have shown in the past that they good do it. Why should this now be any different?"

"Because Anubis' army is larger. In the past he was alone or with just ten men. He now has an army of more then a thousand men. Be realistic and then tell me if you really think we can still win it from him with the men we now have?"

Hakizimana looked taken back by that and mostly by the angry tone in Atemu's voice. "No, Your Majesty is right. We need more men. But I don't think these are the men…"

"There are no other men!" snapped Atemu. "And we have no time to let them go through a complete soldier training. That will take too long. I will learn them the basics. I will teach them how to be tranquil as the forest but also to be like the fire within it. I will teach them everything I find important for them to learn."

"But why do it your…"

"I've already said this before," interrupted Atemu. "The decision to train them myself was my final decision and that decision will not change. Now, I do not wish to talk about this any more."

"As you wish, Sire. May I ask if you have thought about any potential candidates yet?"

A shiver went through Atemu's spine. There it was again. The marriage subject. And no, he hadn't thought about it much after the first mention. "Hakizimana, we're at war. I don't think now is the right time to talk about marriage. Not while Anubis is walking around freely and killing people."

"Of course, my Pharaoh."

"Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed. Tomorrow will be another long day."

Hakizimana bowed for him. "Goodnight, Sire."

Atemu walked out of the tent and glanced around the camp. A view men were still up and a couple of them were standing at the pole with the arrow at the top. They were discussing with each other how one would be able to get it down.

He shook his head and glanced on. Most of the recruits were already laying in bed with the lights out.

His eyes found one tent completely at the end where the light was still on. It looked like the person who slept there had placed it on purpose so far away from the other tents. That he hadn't noticed that before.

When the opening of the tent was opened, he saw that Wati crawled out of it. He looked so lost and desperate.

Atemu frowned again. What was so different about this boy? What was it that pulled him to him so much?

Wati walked away from his tent and away from the camp. For a small second he thought that he was leaving. That he had just given up. But the boy left everything other behind. His horse, his tent and probably his stuff too.

"Hakizimana."

The councillor pulled his head through the canvasses. "Yes, Sire?"

"You mentioned that Wati had a sister, didn't you?"

Hakizimana snorted. "I guess it runs in the family to be useless. She has no manners. She dared to speak in the presence of only men. She insulted me!"

Atemu smiled a little. He would have loved to have seen that. A woman insulting his councillor. The man did already think too highly of himself and didn't like to be insulted and getting insulted by a woman nonetheless! Oh, yes. How he would have loved to have seen that.

"They must be twins. Same red hair, same pale skin. Even the same green eyes. I still find it odd thought."

"What?" asked Atemu, watching how Wati disappeared out of his eyesight.

"That I never heard anything about the son of Zahur Retenu. On the other hand, I wouldn't like to talk about a son like that either."

"Maybe," was all the young Pharaoh said before walking towards his own tent. There was something odd about the Retenu twins and there was defiantly more to Wati then the eye saw. Much more.


	8. The Training Ends

**Happy Easter, everyone!**

**The next chapter, as promised. **

**I would really like to hear what you guys thought of this chapter as I'm not entirely happy with it, especially not with the end. I also found it very hard to write because this is the part in the movie where everything goes quite fast because they are singing. And as I'm not going to make the characters sing, I didn't have that luxury. It took me about a week before I had it finished and I was a little happy with it.**

**Please review and I will update again on Friday. Then I will update a chapter that I like very much. Part because it's about the swimming scene in Mulan, which is one of my favourites scenes in the movie, just like the scene where Mulan kicks hunny butt.**

**I'm drifting off...**

**Thank you for all the reviews. I'm always glad to hear that people can empathize with my oc's. Tells me that I made them come over like a human being and not some kind of wonder woman that always saves the day and does all kind of thins but it never hurts her.**

**Aqua Girl 007: no, I'm not going to add chariots. I was thinking about adding them but I couldn't justify them. At least not in this story. Maybe in the sequel I will but I'm not sure yet.**

**BTW, am I the only one here who has taken a liking in Once Upon A Time? Sorry, just something that popped into my mind. I really like it and I don't really know why. I mean, it's a lot of drama.**

**I'm drifting off, again!**

**Have fun reading and I hope you all had a nice Easter. **

**XxX Emmetje**

* * *

><p>A Girl in the Egyptian Army<p>

Chapter 7

The Training Ends

* * *

><p>The next three weeks didn't go much better either. They kept practising with their poles and their bows. They started every morning with trying to retrieve the arrow but always failed in doing so.<p>

After the first week, Amarra found out that she wasn't doing the worst of the other recruits but she just got that feeling as she got also snapped at by Hakizimana and sometimes the Pharaoh.

Yafeu, Luzige and Chike were doing most of the times even worse. That was in particular shown when the second month started.

The second month came with new techniques and new weapons and new things the Pharaoh found important they were able to do.

There was fishing with your bare hands (Amarra blew up by grabbing Yafeu's foot, who had been standing beside him, instead of the fish she had meant to grab).

There was running while flaming arrows were shot from two different sides (Yafeu blew up by tripping and getting his butt on fire and Amarra didn't do much better. She did make it through the field of arrows but when she had to fire the arrows herself, the fire on the tips were too big and burned all the arrows that she had shot).

There was also destroying rocks with your hands (Luzige blew that up by acting all macho and trying to destroy them with his face. He lost almost all his teeth and had to see a doctor as his nose had gotten broken).

Another new thing was that they started to do hand to hand combat with the Pharaoh (Amarra blew this up as she had no idea how to do hand to hand combat and she didn't want to hurt him. He gave her a blue eye in progress, making Cri-kee have to hold back Mushu before the small dragon would attack him).

They also had to walk rather fast over poles in water without falling (Chike made everyone else fall in the water by stopping halfway as he couldn't swim, making Amarra for a change happy, as she wasn't the one who got yelled at this time).

Another new thing was to use cannons and work on your aim (Amarra was humiliated in that by Luzige who kicked the stand of her cannon away just on the moment she had lid it. In a reflex she had grabbed hold of it and it fired when she still had been holding it, making her turn completely black. Her cannon had also destroyed Hakizimana's tent but luckily he hadn't found out it had been her cannon).

And after two entire months, much progress they still didn't show. The Pharaoh was getting more and more desperate with each hour, just hoping they would finally show some progress, and Amarra was getting more tired and tired with the day.

They were sent to bed late at night and they were expected to rise early in the morning again. And Amarra was having nightmares which made her wake up at least four times in one night, sometimes she was half screaming while shooting up.

She was quite sure that no one noticed her tiredness and was pretty sure that no one did, as most of them still didn't like her and paid no attention to her. For a change she was happy that they all disliked her so much.

But at some point someone would notice and it did get noticed. The third month had just started when they got another new thing they had to do.

They had to walk quite a view miles through the desert and over rocks and hills while carrying a pole on their shoulders with two sacks of sand on each end.

It was there and then that Amarra's tiredness and the toll her nightmares and the training had taken on her, was too big.

She had gotten a little behind even when they had just begun and only half way, it had been too much and her legs had given up under her.

Lying there on the ground, taking deep breaths, she tried to get up again but her body was too tired and hurt too much.

"Come on, girl," said Mushu who appeared in front of her together with Cri-kee. "Get back on your feet before someone notices that you're down."

"I can't," panted Amarra. "Mushu, I can't. I'm too tired. Those bloody nightmares, they're draining me from all my energy."

Mushu and Cri-kee tried to get her head up. "It's just a little more. You are almost there. You can do it, Amarra."

Suddenly they looked around and shot away, back into her shirt to prevent anyone seeing them. Amarra looked slowly up when a shadow fell over her and saw the Pharaoh tower above her with an own pole with sacks on his shoulders.

She immediately knew what was going and let her head hang low again. Yes, Mushu was perhaps right about the fact that she took everything he said to her too personal but she couldn't help it.

She half expected him to say another thing like: "Get up, weakling." But he didn't say anything. The only thing he did was grabbing her pole with the sacks of sand and putting it on his own shoulders before walking on again, leaving her there on the ground.

Amarra closed her eyes and rested her head on the ground again. "I can't do this. He is right. I'm weak."

"You're anything but weak," said Mushu. "A weak person wouldn't have made it through more then two weeks of training while closing hardly an eye. You're stronger then they will ever be."

Amarra glanced up again, seeing the other's disappear in the distant. "Somehow, I seriously doubt that. I'm a woman, remember? Men are stronger then women. They're built like that." She pushed herself up slowly. "Even all the things they can do with ease, I've to fight for."

* * *

><p>That evening came the moment she had expected to come much earlier. Everyone had already gone to bed while Amarra had been walking around. How longer she would lie in her bed, how more her body would hurt in the morning.<p>

She had just been on her way to her tent when the Pharaoh had walked towards her with Kahi, complete saddled and packed, at his hand.

"Some men just aren't meant to be in a war." He gave her the reins. "You're one of them. Go home."

Amarra took the reins from him and looked down, knowing it was now completely over and that she would have to face her parents again.

While he walked away, she found the spirit in herself back and turned around. "Whatever happened with you being so sure you could make a man out of me?"

The Pharaoh stopped and looked at her. "I can make a man out of you. I know I can. But it would take a lot of time and we do not have that time right now."

"So you give up?"

"No, I'm realistic. Anubis and his army are coming closer with each day. We will soon have to leave to meet them and fight. You hardly survive this training, you wouldn't last even a minute in the battlefield."

"Are those your words or your councillor's words?"

A small smile formed on his lips, the first time he had actually smiled at her. "You're smarter then you look and pretend to be."

"Having brains is just as important as having muscles. I guess I just have more brains then muscles."

"A word of advice then: you would be wise to use them in some situations instead of acting like other men and try to use muscles you don't have." The Pharaoh turned around but said before he left her alone: "Go home, Wati. We both know you gave up on this a long time again."

Amarra signed and led Kahi towards the gate. On her way there, a large shadow fell over her and she looked up. It was the pole with the arrow on it. No one had yet succeeded into retrieving it.

Amarra thought for a moment and then whispered: "I never was one to just give up. Why would I do so now?"

Leaving Kahi where she was, she walked towards the pole and put the weights around her wrists. Four times she tried to climb up while the weights hang on her wrists. But every time they pulled her down again.

Then she suddenly heard the Pharaoh's word of advice again. "No muscles –" She looked at the two weights and the bands they were hanging on. "– but brains."

She tied the two weights together around the pole and grabbed the bands in her hands, instead of putting them around her wrists. And so she started to climb her way up.

She was still busy climbing up when the sun appeared on the sky again, awaking the rest of the camp. And the first thing the men saw when they left their tents was her being already halfway to the top.

They gathered around and watched with amazement while she climbed on, sweat drops rolling from her forehead along side her face.

They gasped when one of her feet slipped away for a second but cheered when she didn't gave up and climbed on, reaching the top finally. She pulled the arrow out and hung the weights that were still tied together, over her shoulder.

And when the Pharaoh stepped out of his tent, she threw the arrow at him and it landed right in front of his feet. And when he glanced up and saw her, another small smile appeared on his face.

"What is he still doing here?" yelled Hakizimana when he also left his tent and saw that Amarra was now making her way down.

This made not only Amarra but the other men laugh too and when she was standing on the ground again, she was greeted like some kind of hero. The men cheered, congratulated her and at some point she was even lifted up in the sky and carried towards the tent where they always ate.

And for the first time since she had arrived at the camp, she was able to eat there without someone pulling a prank on her or trying to get revenge on her.

* * *

><p>What happened in the three weeks that followed was probably in the Pharaoh's eyes a miracle. Or something that came very close to a miracle.<p>

Not did only Amarra show a lot of progress but the other recruits as well. All of them. And they were all learning the things quite well.

Maybe the fact that everyone heard that Amarra, or Wati as they knew her, had been actually sent away but she had refused and showed everyone that with a lot of perseverance you could do anything you wanted.

Whatever the reason was which had caused the change, it made the Pharaoh happy and so he didn't ask questions.

It started with the progress of the fruit shooting and ended in every single man being able to launch the three fruits and hit them with the arrows and make the arrows hit the targets.

After that Amarra had shown a lot of progress with the carrying of the poles and sacks with sand in them. So much progress that she was the one running in front at the end.

After that it was Chike who had shown progress. He managed to run over all the poles in the water without falling or stopping because of the fact that he couldn't swim.

After him Luzige was the one catching the attention of showing progress. Together with a view other men he didn't only manage to break the stone blocks into two, not only with their hands, but also with their heads.

The other men impressed the Pharaoh with their progress in the using of the cannons. One by one they all managed to hit the target in the end.

Amarra earned another smile from the Pharaoh during their hand to hand combat. She was able to block his attacks and hit him a view times pretty hard, even making him send to the ground once or twice.

And Yafeu also got progress. He managed to run through the burning arrow field without getting hit or burned.

The fishing went better too but Amarra still managed to make a slight fool of herself, this time by accidently grabbing the foot of the Pharaoh instead of the fish. Luckily he was able to laugh about it but it had sent a blush to her cheeks.

And the finishing touch was that everyone got control over the fighting techniques with a pole and in the Pharaoh's words 'so also with the techniques of a sword'.

But while they had trained and had shown progress, Anubis and his army hadn't been doing nothing. They were moving slower then at first had been planned but were now nearing the desert pass, the quickest way to the Palace.

On their way they had burned down even more villages and killed even more people. Although, less then they would have liked.

"Those cursed soldiers have made them evacuate to saver cities, just in case," had the woman snapped when they had found an almost deserted village. "There went my meal."

Almost three months after they had crossed the Egyptian borders, Anubis and his army were resting in a small oasis in the desert. It was too hot to continue now and if they would, it would be likely for them to get a heatstroke and then they would be worthless soldiers.

And during their rest, Anubis' hawk returned from scouting and brought back two things: a doll and the head cover from an Egyptian soldier.

He showed his men. "What do you see?"

"It's a doll," said one of the most obvious.

One of his other men took the doll from him. "Sand and small stones attached to it. Comes from a village that lies close to rocks. The desert pass perhaps."

Another men took it over and pulled out a hair. "A white hair. Can't be human. Horses?"

Anubis showed the head cover. "This doll and this head cover came from a village that lies on the edge of the desert pass. There, the soldiers of the Pharaoh are waiting for us."

"We can avoid them easily," said one of his archers.

"No. That storm has already slowed us down too much. We should have already reached the Palace and defeated the Pharaoh," said Anubis. "How more time we waste, how more time we give the Pharaoh to prepare and get ready for the fight. And the quickest way to the Palace is through that pass." He grinned evilly. "Besides, there must be a little girl that wants her doll back, desperately. We should be so polite to return it to her."

"Might I remind you of the fact we have discussed before?" snapped the woman, who was lounging on a branch in a tree. "How closer we are getting to that pass, how stronger the power sense becomes. You felt it too. Everyone has felt it." There were some nods and mumbles. "We should have not sensed anything until we had arrived at the Palace. Something powerful is lurking around."

"We can take everyone and everything that comes in our way, Sacmis," said Anubis. "Whoever is the reason for this power, we will be able to stop him or her. One single swing of a sword, one single arrow or even –" He leaned closer to her. "– one single touch and it's over. What's got you so worried? Are you not as powerful as you claim to be?"

The woman jumped of the branch and stared angry at him. "I learned from past associations to be careful. I suggest you be too or else you will not end up destroying this country but getting destroyed yourself."

Anubis laughed mockingly. "I believe our great Black Queen is having second thoughts." His men laughed too but everyone fell silent when their leader grabbed the woman around her throat. "We're now too close to be bothered by that. You want her dead?"

"Yes…" answered the woman cramped.

"Then you help me kill the Pharaoh." He threw her on the ground. "And after that, I will see what I can do about that woman you've so much trouble with."

* * *

><p>Isis' eyes shot open and she gasped loudly, lowering her hands that had been floating close to the Millennium Necklace.<p>

"What is it, Isis?" asked Shimon.

He and the other Guardians of the Millennium Items were sitting in their meeting room and were discussing the absence of the Pharaoh.

"Nothing…" stuttered Isis, suddenly rather nervous. "Nothing at all…"

Mahad gave her a slightly sceptical look. "Doesn't look like nothing. Come on, tell us. What did you see?"

Isis shook her head again. "Nothing."

Mahad still didn't buy it. "So nothing made you gasp?"

Isis was playing rather nervously with her dress while looking down. "What was it that you saw, Isis?" asked Karim, Guardian of the Millennium Scale.

"Anubis and his army know about the planned surprise attack," said Isis. "It will fail. I also saw that the battle in the desert pass will happen. But I wasn't able to see who will win. Something was blocking my sight."

"What about that woman?"

Isis became nervous again. "What woman?"

"The woman with Anubis. Would there be another woman?"

"No, no. Of course not." She gave a nervous sign. "Yes, that woman. I saw her watch but not join the fight."

"Is there another woman?" asked Aknadin, Guardian of the Millennium Eye.

Isis shook her head but the other Guardians all looked sceptical. "Oh, fine," signed Isis in defeat. "I believe I saw a woman who caught the Pharaoh's attention."

"What?" asked all the other five Guardians and Shimon.

"I couldn't see who it was. I could not even see what she looked like. It was a very blurry vision. But what I did see was that she had caught his eye. That he kept eyeing her."

"Maybe he will meet someone during the march to the desert pass," suggested Shada, Guardian of the Millennium Scale.

"I don't know. Likie I said: it was very blurry. Something is blocking my sight. It has been doing so ever since the Pharaoh arrived at the trainings camp."

"Strange powers are lurking around."

"You don't think the woman in Anubis' army will catch his eye, right? Because that would be really bad."

Seven heads turned around and eyed with raised eyebrows the head of a nervous Mana that was sticking out one of the rather large vases.

"Mana," said Mahad. "For already how long have you been here?"

Mana climbed out of the jar. This time she was the one who was looking rather nervous. "Uh… Quite sometime?"

"And what are you doing here?" asked Aknadin.

"I just wanted to know if you had heard anything of the Pharaoh. I mean, it has almost been three months since he left!"

"The Pharaoh is fine, Mana," said Isis. "But he is too busy with everything to try and send us a message."

Mana looked sadly down. "It's not the same without him here." Then her eyes lit up a little. "So what else can you see about the woman catching his eye? Is she friendly? Nice? Beautiful? Does she have a sense of humour?"

"Mana, you know I can't see that," laughed Isis.

Mana's smile disappeared again. "Oh."

"The only thing I can tell you is that there is something connected to her that gives me trouble to see in the future."

Mana looked anxious. "You think she possesses magic?"

"We will just have to wait and see."

Mana sat down beside her. "She must be special if she catches his attention."

"It will not matter what she is as long as she is noble," said Aknadin.

Mana frowned. "What is that suppose to mean?"

"The Pharaoh needs to find a wife and the Queen needs to be from noble blood."

"So even if he falls in love with her but she turns out to be just a farmer's daughter, he will still not be able to marry her? That's not fair! What if they really love each other?"

"Rules are rules, Mana," said Aknadin. "Like the rules also say that you shouldn't be here." Muttering angry in herself, Mana stood up again and left their meeting room. "Look if you can see anything else, Isis."

And so she did but nothing else turned up.


	9. Getting To Know Him , Her

**Hey guys!**

**I had promised to update, didn't I? It's a late one, again.**

**Like I said last time: this is one of my favourite parts in the movie and honestly, I'm really proud of this chapter. I hope you guys will understand why.**

**Like always, please review and please enjoy the chapter. **

**Both compliments and criticism are very welcome. **

**I will update again next Friday. Next week is going to be a busy one for me. **

**I hope you all had a good Easter, btw. **

**Anyway, on with the story. The title already gives it away a little bit ;)**

**XxX Emmetje.**

* * *

><p>A Girl in the Egyptian Army<p>

Chapter 8

Getting To Know Him/Her

* * *

><p>Amarra had taken some distant from the camp and was now stripping of her clothes behind a view bushes. It was night and the full moon was standing brightly between the stars in the sky.<p>

Kahi was also with her and was eating some grass and leaves. Mushu and Cri-kee were there too and Mushu was pacing around. "Oh no. This is not a good idea. What if somebody sees you?"

Amarra pulled the band out of her hair, making her long red curls fall down again. "Just because I look and act like a man doesn't mean I've to smell like one. And I haven't taken a bath in nearly three months."

"So a couple of guys don't wash out their socks. Picky, picky, picky." Amarra stepped from behind the bushes and Mushu covered his eyes with his ears. "I myself like that coin ship smell."

Amarra quickly ran past him and into the water, disappearing for a view moments completely under the surface before coming back up. "Oh! This feels good!" She leaned her head back in the water and went with her hands over her head. "It feels like three ton of dirt just washes away from my body."

"Yeah, yeah," said Mushu, who climbed on a stone standing beside the small lake. "That's enough. Get out before you go all feminine on me." He held up a small towel, still keeping his ears in front of his eyes.

Amarra splashed some water at him with a laugh. "Mushu, if you're so worried, go and stand watch because this feels way too goo to come out anytime soon."

"Yeah, yeah," muttered Mushu while walking away from the water and towards Cri-kee who was already standing watch. "Stand watch, Mushu, while I blow our secret with my stupid girly habits."

"It's called personal hygiene. You should try it sometime," said Amarra, while washing her arms with her hands.

"Hygiene." Mushu snorted. "What for use does hygiene have anyway?"

Amarra laughed again before diving underwater again and swimming around for a little. After that she came back to the surface again and let her body float on the water. "It makes you more attractive and it makes sure you don't suffocate or scare people away with your horrible smell."

"That's what men are all about, girl," said Mushu. "Their smell is something they're proud of."

"Well, I stay a girl and that means I will keep finding personal hygiene important."

Suddenly Cri-kee chirped and pulled on one of Mushu's whiskers. Mushu put his ears up and saw three men run past him. Two of them were already naked; the remaining one pulled off his underpants and was after that naked too.

"Oh no. We're doomed!" said Mushu. "There are a couple of things about her that I know they are bound to notice." He threw the underpants from his head and ran towards the water.

Amarra had just gotten up from underwater again and was wringing out her hair when she heard the excited yells of three persons.

Much to her shock she saw Luzige and Yafeu run into the water, completely naked and Chike, also naked, stopped at the edge of the water and felt if it was the right temperature before jumping in too.

She shrieked and dived more underwater, showing only the top of her head, while trying to come up with a plan to get away from them without them seeing she was a woman.

Chike's jump created a wave, making a lily pad with a frog on it, drift towards her. She quickly grabbed it and held it in front of her face while trying to swim unnoticed towards a large rock in the water, hoping she could hide under it. "_Don't let them see me. Please. Don't let them see me._"

"Hey, Wati!"

She stopped, cursing herself and cursing the fact that they had noticed her. She put the lily pad away. "Oh, hey, guys. I didn't know you were here." The three looked at each other for a moment, having weird looks on their faces by hearing her deep voice. "I was just washing myself to get clean but that's done with now so I will be going now. Bye, bye."

She quickly hid herself behind a rock but they didn't give up and came after her. "Come back here," said Luzige, who swimming on his back. This gave her a too good look on his manhood and she quickly covered her eyes. "I know we were jerks to you before so let's start over." He swam normally to her and held out his hand. "Hi, I'm Luzige."

Amarra shook his hand while trying to cover her chest with her other arm. When she wanted to swim back she swam right against someone else. "And I'm Chike."

She took a little distant from him again. "Hi, Chike."

"And I am–" Amarra quickly looked away and covered her eyes again when she saw that Yafeu had climbed on the rock she had tried to hide behind not moment again. "– Yafeu, King of the Rock. And there's nothing you girls can do about it."

"Oh yeah?" said Luzige. "Well, I think Wati and I can take you."

Still covering her eyes, Amarra started to swim away again. "I really don't want to take him anywhere."

Luzige swam after her. "Wati, we've to fight!"

"No, we don't." She was still trying to get away. "We could just close our eyes and swim around."

"Oh, come on," said Luzige, grabbing hold of her arm. "Don't be such a… Ouch!" He let go of her and his hands disappeared under water. "Something bit me!"

Mushu came towards the surface of the water right between them and was coughing and spitting. "Augh! What a nasty flavour."

Luzige then noticed him and gave a yell. "Snake!"

The three men started to yell immediately and swam away from her. Amarra whistled quickly on her fingers, making Kahi look up and trot towards her. Amarra swam under her, between the horse her legs, and then stood up and used Kahi as cover to get away from the water.

After putting some distant between her and the water, she grabbed the towel that was hanging over Kahi's back and wrapped it tightly around her body. "Boy, that was close."

"No," said Mushu, who was walking after them. "That was vile. You owe me big time."

Amarra wringed her hair out again. It only curled more because it was wet. "I never want to see a man naked again."

Kahi snorted and gave a nod with her head. Her eyes, as well as Amarra's eyes, widened when a whole group of naked men ran past them towards the water. Apparently she hadn't been the only one in the camp who had gotten the idea to take a bath.

"Traumatized," said Amarra while Kahi shook her head in disgust. "I'm forever traumatized."

"Hey, don't look at me," said Mushu. "I ain't biting no more butts."

Amarra shook her head and hid behind the bushes again, quickly changing back in her clothes. After she was done with that, she, Mushu, Cri-kee and Kahi walked back into the camp and made their way towards their tent again.

"Yeah, I now know absolutely certain that I will never want to get married," said Amarra while going with her fingers through her long wet hair, as she was a comb short. "They're vile, disgusting and ugly."

"You think they're ready to fight?"

Amarra stopped and turned around towards the tent they had just passed. It was the council tent of the Pharaoh and she saw through the canvas the shadows of two persons: the Pharaoh and Hakizimana.

"Ha! They would not last a minute against Anubis and his men!"

"They completed their training. They're ready."

"Those boys are not fit to be soldiers. They are mere peasants that will never see battle."

"That is still my decision to make, Hakizimana. I promised the generals to meet them at the pass in maximal five months. Three months have already passed and the journey to the pass isn't a short one. We will have to ride out and go to war."

"You shouldn't be doing anything except sitting on your throne in the Palace and worrying about the fact that you need to find yourself a wife." Amarra's mouth dropped open when she heard that and her hands, that had been busy tying her hair in a knot again, fell down. "You should leave the battle to your soldiers."

The Pharaoh's shadow stood up. "I'm not letting other men give up their lives for something that is a personal matter between me and Anubis." He sounded very angry. "And I don't need a wife. I've been doing my job in these last four years just fine without one and I can do it fine without one for another four years."

"A Pharaoh is not a real Pharaoh without a wife and an heir at his side."

"Enough!" snapped the Pharaoh, now sounding really really angry. "I didn't ask for this council. And my decision has already been made. We will leave tomorrow to ride out and meet the generals and their armies at the desert pass."

Amarra looked at Mushu and Cri-kee while bounding her hair together in a knot, only a view stubborn wet streaks didn't want to cooperate and kept framing her face. "Guess this is it then, Mushu. We're going to ride out and meet the war."

"Now we're going to show everyone that you're the real deal," said Mushu cheerful. Then he frowned. "And we will have to work on keeping you alive."

Amarra rolled her eyes and jumped a little when the two men stepped out of the tent. She swallowed when they both noticed her and signed a little relieved when Hakizimana just turned around and left without saying a word.

"Ignorant man," muttered the Pharaoh, glancing after his councillor.

"I hold him, you punch?" suggested Amarra.

He smiled. "I wish I could."

"Why can't you then?" asked Amarra slightly curious. "I mean, you're the Pharaoh. You can do whatever you want."

"He stays my councillor. And no matter how ignorant he is and no matter how much he gets under my skin, I still need to handle him with respect."

"He doesn't show anyone else respect, not even you. Why should you give him respect then? In my opinion, everyone needs to earn the respect of the other, no matter who they are or what job they have."

"Maybe."

For a moment there fell an uncomfortable silent between them. "So we're leaving for battle tomorrow?" asked Amarra after a while, she just couldn't stand the silence anymore.

The Pharaoh raised an eyebrow. "Did you eavesdrop on us?"

Her cheeks flushed red. "I didn't mean to." She rubbed her arm uncomfortable while looking down. "Sorry. It won't happen again."

The Pharaoh laughed a little. "Don't worry. I'm not angry. We didn't exactly talk in shushed voices. And to answer your question: yes, we're leaving for battle tomorrow."

"And you are sure that we are ready for battle?"

"Aren't you?"

Amarra shrugged a little. "I don't know. I don't have much knowledge of war."

"Where do you have knowledge of then?"

"Farms and to finish my chores in the fastest way."

The Pharaoh laughed again. "Well, fair is fair. I don't have much knowledge about that."

Amarra shrugged again. "Keeps everything in balance, doesn't it?"

The Pharaoh smiled at her. "I guess it does."

Amarra felt her stomach give a strange pull when she met his eyes and quickly looked away. "Shouldn't you also take a bath like the other men?" When she saw his raised eyebrows she slapped her own forehead, remembering again who she was talking to. "Oh, shoot. I keep forgetting you're the Pharaoh. I'm sorry."

"You know, you should stop apologizing so much. It almost makes it look like you're lying to me and hiding some big dark secret."

Amarra rubbed the back of her neck, laughing a little uncomfortable. "Only the thought."

"And you shouldn't apologize for forgetting I'm Pharaoh. It's actually nice to have someone act normally around me."

"If that's what makes you happy…"

"So why aren't you with the others, taking that bath?"

"Already had it." She pointed towards her hair. "Makes it go all rebellion on me."

He laughed again. "You must be the strangest man I've ever met."

"I get that a lot. Trust me on that one." She rubbed her arm again. "So, you're getting married, huh? What is that like?"

His smile faltered. "I've no idea. They want me to get married, I'm not actually getting married yet. And if it was up to me, I won't be getting married in another four or six years."

"Isn't that odd for a Pharaoh?" She frowned. "Isn't it odd for someone of your age to not be married yet?"

"Thank you for making it sound like I'm in my late forties."

Amarra slapped her forehead again. "Damn it. Now I'm doing it again. I'm really sorry."

He laughed loudly this time. "I'm messing with you."

She gave him an annoyed look. "Don't do that! It's not funny!"

"I beg the difference."

"I might be the strangest man you ever met but you are certainly not like anything I had expected a Pharaoh to be."

"And what had you expected me to be then?"

"Long married, for one. Probably having already ten heirs or something. Defiantly not messing around and joking. Also most defiantly not training his own new army. I had expect you to be some snobby rich boy who made all the decisions on his own and didn't give anything about other people, only about his power. You know, like you were some kind of God that everyone should worship."

He smiled. "If that's how you would have expected me, I take the fact that I'm not the Pharaoh you had expected as a compliment."

"Then you're welcome for the compliment." She held a head a little to one side; there was now a fluttery feeling in her belly. "So you don't have any plans to get married anytime soon?"

The Pharaoh shook his head. "No, absolutely not. I'm only twenty one and they are already expecting me to marry the first rich lady I see and produce an heir with her. That's not exactly what's on my mind right now."

"Do you ever plan on getting married?"

"Well, anyone wants to get married in his life. So yes, I can say I want to get married. But I only want to marry out of love. What about you?"

Amarra shook her head. "Absolutely not."

He gave her an odd look. "What's wrong with getting married?"

"Nothing. It's just… I don't think I meant to play that part." She wrapped nervously one of the streaks of her hair around her finger. "I mean, getting married. I don't think it's meant for me."

"Why not?"

"Have you not seen how I look?" She pointed to her face. "Who would ever want to marry someone who looks as odd as I do? People want someone normal and I am not exactly what you call normal."

"Just because you look different doesn't immediately mean that you are different and there won't be anyone out there that will fall for you."

"Ha! Would you marry me?" asked Amarra. After that she realised what she was saying and quickly added: "If I were a woman?"

"That's a rather odd question."

"I know. I'm odd, remember? Anyway, I've even proof that I will never get married. I once went to see the matchmaker in our town. Ended in a complete disaster. I went there to keep the family honour high and what did I end up doing? Making a complete fool of myself and humiliating the matchmaker."

The Pharaoh chuckled. "And how did you do that, if I may be so bold to ask?"

"Well… I knew I was going to forget something so I made notes on my arm. Only the ink had smeared out by a bath they had forced me to take before I went to meet her. The water was freezing." Amarra shuddered while rubbing her hands over her arms, remembering that cold water. "And that bloody woman grabbed my wrist and got the ink all over her hand. And then she did this." She did the exact same thing that the matchmaker had when she had met her. "Causing a black circle to form all around her mouth." The Pharaoh burst out in laughter. "And that's not even the worst part. My grandmother had given me some lucky cricket and it escaped and went bathing in her tea so I had to pull the cup out of her hands and then I spilled it all over her, causing that cricket to slip in her cleavage."

The Pharaoh laughed even harder. "Yeah, I get it…"

"It gets even worse," interrupted Amarra. "The cricket started to move around in her cleavage, making her dance around the room and tripping over a standard with hot coals in them." He pulled a face, realising where this was going. "Then she fell over the standard and landed with her backside on the coals, setting it on fire. And when I tried to get it out, it started to burn only more. So she ran outside, calling for help and begging someone to put it out. And if that wasn't worse enough, I grabbed the closest thing I could find that would put it out and that was the pot with tea in it. Threw it right over her. Well, I did put the fire out but it made her make-up and the ink smear over her whole face. And after that she yelled at me that I would never marry and that the one, who would ever marry me, would have to be a brainless, blind and complete idiot. And that's the story of how I made a fool of myself, how I dishonoured my family and how I humiliated the matchmaker."

"I'm starting to realise why you believe you aren't meant to play the part in getting married."

"It's not like I don't want to get married. It's just I'm not meant to get married."

"Maybe someday you will be proofed otherwise."

Amarra smiled up at him. "Maybe. But don't count too much on it." He smiled back, causing the fluttery feeling in her belly grow. "Anyway." She looked away. "I'm off to find my bed. Goodnight, Pharaoh."

"Atemu."

Amarra looked slightly surprised up. "What?"

The Pharaoh smiled. "My name is Atemu."

Amarra smiled too. "Well, goodnight then, Atemu."

"Goodnight, Wati."

With a single hand raise he walked away and Amarra looked after him, smiling in a way she didn't know she was smiling until Mushu and Cri-kee joined her again. But it was too late. It had already been noticed.

"I saw that," said Mushu, glancing up at her with his arms over each other.

"What?" asked Amarra, trying to act like she had no idea what he was talking about.

"You like him, don't you?"

"What?"

"Do I need to spell it? Y.O.U. L.I.K.E. T.H.E. P.H.A.R.A.O.H."

"No, I don't."

"Don't start lying to me now."

"Mushu, it's ridiculous. He's the Pharaoh!"

"You better not have feelings for him because if you do, I will have to remind you that we're here to act all manly and you starting to flirt with him –"

"I wasn't flirting with him."

"– will seriously blow our cover. So no feelings and no falling in love. Especially not with His Majesty himself."

"But I'm not having…"

"Yeah, yeah, right," waved Mushu off, before looking stern at her. "Go to your tent!"

Amarra signed and walked towards her tent, stopping for a moment and glancing over her shoulder towards the direction Atemu had walked off to. And with a small smile she walked on towards her tent, again having that fluttery feeling in her belly.


	10. March to the Desert Pass

**Hey guys!**

**Oh, God! I'm publishing this late again. It's already 23.10 here with me in the Netherlands. But I had a busy week and I'm still updating.**

**Thank you for all the reviews, again. And please keep reviewing, I'm begging you on my knees.**

**I still haven't finished the last chapter of this story and I'm still wondering if I'm not taking a too big jump into time. So maybe I will make a view more chapters that will make the jump slightly smaller.**

**All will be explained in one of those chapters. Like Amarra's past with the black haired woman who is helping Anubis and why Sacmis couldn't kill baby Amarra... No, that will be explained in a sequel. Together with the whole legend of the Phoenix.**

**I'm giving too much away again. Blast it.**

**On with the story. I hope you will like it. Again, it was quite hard to turn a song into a normal script. But I enjoyed it, so that's okay :D.**

**I don't know when I will update again. I hope next Friday but it might just be a little later too. So keep an eye out. And please review!**

**XxX Emmetje**

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><p>A Girl in the Egyptian Army<p>

Chapter 9

March to the Desert Pass

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><p>The next day they broke down their camp already early in the morning and marched out towards the desert pass. It was the beginning of a long and boring march.<p>

Atemu and Hakizimana were at the front of the hurt, on their horses. After them there came three other men, all three carrying a flag that held the colours of the Egyptian empire. And behind them came Amarra with Kahi. Atemu had asked her if she was okay with her horse being used to pull the cart with food, cannons and tents in them. She had agreed. And after her came the rest of the recruits.

To reach the desert pass would take at least a week and they would have to cross the Nile at some point. Amarra had the luck that she could sometimes sit on the cart but her fellow soldiers had to walk all the way and that tired them.

During their march the men sang songs, making Amarra press her hands against her ears several times as most of them couldn't really sing that well.

During the last day of the march they were nearing the Nile and by that time, Amarra was pretty sure that she heard all the songs at least ten times.

"You would think they would get tired of singing songs," said Amarra while pressing her hands against her ears.

Atemu, who was riding on his horse beside her, laughed a little. "They have to do something."

"Then let them start picking flowers or braid each other's hair. Anything but singing."

"Look at the bright side, if our battle strategies won't work, they can always sing our enemies to their defeat."

Amarra gave him an annoyed look. "Yeah, yeah. You joke about it all you like. But this is torture for me. If they keep going on like this I might end up killing myself long before we even reach the pass."

He grinned a little. "They are not that bad…" At that moment Chike held on a high note and this time Amarra wasn't the only one who pressed her hands against her ears. "I take it back. That's bad."

Hakizimana passed them, giving the Pharaoh a disapproving look and Amarra a nasty one. "You know, there are still cliffs that we will need to pass. And it might be a plan to throw him of one of them."

Atemu signed. "Don't tempt me." He gave her a last smile before pressing his heels into his horse's belly and trotting after Hakizimana.

Amarra glanced after him with a smile and felt how something was hit against her head. "Au!"

She turned around and saw that Mushu had thrown something at her and that he was giving her a look with his arms over each other. "Keep going on like that and you might as well just tell him who you really are."

"I wasn't flirting with him," hissed Amarra back.

"No, it just looked like it."

"We were just talking."

"I think there is a lot more to all that sweet talking that you two do then just friendship."

Amarra stuck out her tongue and he did the same back, making Kahi sign and shaking her head while neighing a little.

"This herd makes me feel like we are cattle," said Yafeu who walked up to her together with Chike. "And if my feet keep hurting like this, I think they might fall off."

"And we haven't stopped for centuries," complained Chike. "I'm starting to get hungry."

"Yeah, it's not easy to ignore our growling stomachs and our acing feet," said another soldier.

"Then think of something else instead," said Luzige, who also walked up to them.

"And what might that be?" asked another soldier.

"Please, don't say a song," muttered Amarra.

"What might that be?" Luzige laughed as if it was the most stupid question ever. "What do you think it might be? A girl worth fighting for."

Amarra gave him a weird look. "Huh?"

"You heard me right, my redheaded friend," said Luzige while putting an arm around her shoulders. "A girl worth fighting for."

When he took out a piece of scroll that showed the image of a girl that was all dressed up as a bride, Amarra quickly freed herself from his grasp and tried to get away from the men as far as possible, as they were all now looking rather dreamily.

"You've got to be joking," she muttered, very annoyed. "This has to be even worse then their singing."

And much to her displeasure they didn't leave her alone. Luzige appeared beside her again, grabbing hold of her shoulders once more. "I want her paler as the moon with eyes that shine like stars."

Yafeu appeared on her other side and pulled Amarra towards his height. "My girl will marvel at my strength and adore my battle scars."

Amarra was pulled up in the air by Chike who then held her on his shoulder. "I couldn't care less what she wears or what she looks like. It will all depend on what she cooks, like beef, pork and chicken. Hmm."

"That's not helping to forget your stomach, Chike," said Amarra who quickly jumped on the ground and tried to put some distance between her and the men again.

"I want a sweet girl who can make me laugh."

"You crazy? As long as she is beautiful, she will do perfect for me."

"I don't want one who is skinny. She must have the shape to get children. Lots of them."

"As long as she is warm and friendly and loves me."

"I want someone who just is obedient and knows her place."

"I prefer one who gives advice."

"This is worse then getting dressed up," muttered Amarra, shaking her head while pressing a hand against her forehead in a hopeless gesture, when more and more of her fellow soldiers started to tell what kind of women they wanted, had or liked. "Even worse then meeting the matchmaker."

"Pay attention, men!" called Atemu back at them, once again unknowingly rescuing Amarra from the torture the men around her gave her. "We've reached the Nile!"

"Great, just what I wanted," complained one of the men. "Getting wet."

For a short while they stopped at the river bank to get some rest and eat something before they readied themselves and their luggage to cross the river.

During that cross, Yafeu gave her a small push with his elbow. "Bet the local girls thought you were quite the charmer."

"Not really," said Amarra uncomfortable, trying to get away from him without getting off the path they had found and where the river was at its lowest.

"Oh, come on. You've your ways. They must have been drooling all over you."

Amarra shook her head, again pulling an uncomfortable face. "No, really. They wanted nothing to do with me."

"I don't believe any of that," grinned Yafeu, again nudging her with his elbow. "Be honest now. How did you do…"

His last words fell silent when he tripped over something and ended up in the water, making a view fish jump and getting caught by Chike and giving Amarra the chance to put some distant between her and the other men.

"I bet the ladies love a man in armour," said Luzige when they climbed back on shore.

"You'd be surprised," said Amarra while passing him, wringing out her clothes. "They prefer someone who hadn't put his life at stake because those are the ones that don't run off to battle and get killed in progress. You aren't exactly much useful when you're dead."

"Sounds like you speak form experience," said Atemu, stopping when he passed her.

Amarra scratched the back of her neck. "I've got a sister, remember?"

"Your sister is nothing but an ignorant girl that doesn't know her place," said Hakizimana, riding past them again.

Amarra pulled an angry face. "I swear, one more remark like that I will have his blood."

Atemu placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a smile. "I won't stop you."

"You really are the oddest Pharaoh ever."

"Thank you, I try my hardest."

Amarra laughed and watched him jump on his horse again and ride on. The next moment she felt something burn her backside and with a slight jump, she turned around again while rubbing her buttocks that had been on fire. She got a stern look from Mushu and she rolled her eyes while walking on, pulling Kahi with her.

After walking for another while, they passed some fields where men and women were working and much to Amarra's displeasure, Mushu whistled from out the cart, making all the women look at her and giggle, thinking she had been the one who had whistled.

Amarra quickly placed her hand against her face and looked towards the other direction. "Thank you very much, Mushu. Now I feel like an idiot."

"Well, someone got to do something to not make anyone suspicious about the fact that you keep flirting with His Majesty," said Mushu.

"Will you stop that already? I'm not flirting with him."

"No, it just looks that way."

"Oh, what a beauties, aren't they?" said Luzige, who once again walked up to her. "That's what I've missed the most since we went off to war."

"You and everyone else here," said a soldier who walked past them.

"So to what kind of girl are you attracted too?" asked Yafeu, also now joining them again together with Chike.

"Can we really talk about something else?" begged Amarra.

"Oh, I think someone here has already someone on the eye," said Chike, nudging her side again.

"No! Where on earth…" She gave an annoyed sign. "What is it with everyone thinking I like someone?"

"Come on, there must be a kind of girl that you like or certain things she needs to require to get your attention," said Yafeu. "For example: my girl will have to think I have no flaws."

"And that I am a major find," said Chike.

Amarra rolled her eyes. "How about a girl who has a brain and who always speaks her mind?"

The three exchanged looks before shaking their heads. "Nah!"

Amarra's face got now slightly annoyed about how her own personality got rejected again so she asked in a slightly winey and childish voice: "Then how about a girl who is quite, kind, graceful, polite, delicate, refined, punctual and mannered?" Everyone was suddenly staring at her and she rubbed her arm nervously. "What? My sister needed to learn those words out of her head when she went to meet the matchmaker and strike a good match. She just wouldn't shut up about it."

The men shook their head before walking on, making Amarra sign and telling herself that she should be careful with what she said.

Luzige put an arm around her shoulders and tried to impress her by showing of his biceps, which he didn't have. "My manly ways and turn of phrase are sure to thrill her."

"Unlikely," said Amarra while removing his arm from her shoulders again.

Only to be pulled towards Yafeu who muttered to her: "He thinks he is such a lady killer." With a laugh he slapped Kahi's backside. This caused Amarra's horse to give a kick back, hitting Yafeu, before walking on, making Luzige fall on the ground in the mutt as he had been leaning against the cart.

Amarra pulled up her nose and quickly traded the mutt for a slightly better road. Patting Kahi on the side of her neck as a sign that she did good, she turned to Mushu. "And you think I'm flirting with Atemu?" she hissed at him. "It keeps looking like all the men here are flirting with me."

"Atemu, eh?" said Mushu, giving her a knowing look while putting his arms over each other. Amarra's cheeks flushed red. "Since when do you call His Majesty by his first name?"

"Since he asked me too."

"Get a grip on yourself, girl!" said Mushu angry but in shushed voice. "If he would ever find out that you're a woman, the acting nice to you will be over and he will have your head. This whole romance you invented…"

"I'm not inventing anything. And there is no romance. And I am NOT flirting with anyone."

"Keep telling yourself that, darling. You can lie to yourself but not to me."

Amarra made a gesture with her hand, like trying to wave him off like an annoying little fly. Next moment she heard something crash into one of the sides of the cart.

"Where did you do that for?"

"I didn't do anything," said Amarra, before biting uncomfortable on the nail of her index finger. "Not on purpose anyway. I'm sorry, Mushu. That sometimes happened."

"Anything else I should know about what you can do and what might happen from time to time?" Amarra gave him an uncomfortable look and he held up his hand. "Forget I asked. I don't want to know."

Amarra shrugged with a small smile and turned her attention ahead again, walking on with Kahi at her side.

"You know, I've a girl back home who is unlike any other," said Hakizimana in a way that just screamed that he trying to get them jealous.

"Mothers don't count," said Amarra, not being able to resist. The whole herd started to laugh and Amarra smiled a little proudly when she saw that even Atemu couldn't hide his laugh. She did however get another nasty look from Hakizimana. "What? It's true. The only girl who would ever love you is your own mother."

Hakizimana muttered something and Amarra got a satisfied look that he didn't say something out loud back in her face. Probably because Atemu was eyeing him sternly. If he would only know about all that he was doing for her.

"So, is anyone here married yet?" asked Amarra. The men shook their heads. "I thought as much."

"But when we come home in victory they'll be lined up at our doors," said Luzige.

"Yeah…" Amarra scratched the back of her neck again. "I wouldn't really…"

"What do we want?" interrupted Luzige laughing.

"A girl worth fighting for!" cheered the other men, making Amarra sign and shake her head in defeat.

"What do we need?"

"A girl worth fighting for!"

"Wish that we had –"

"– a girl worth fighting…"

Everyone stopped talking, cheering and walking at the same time. They had walked around a hill and were now standing in front of the village where they would meet Atemu's generals and their armies.

Or, they were standing in front of what should have been the village. Not much was left over from it.

A dark and red cloud was forming itself above the village and the walls around it, the gate to it and every single house in the village was destroyed. Nothing was left except a view wooden beams and some empty house skeletons.

The bell that was hanging close by the walls, that were hardly standing up anymore, was moving with the wind and was making a soft noise. It was left hanging on only one single rope.

Amarra's heart stopped for a moment and tears formed themselves in her eyes when she saw the destruction. Who could do this? Why would someone do this?

They walked through the leftovers from the gate and into the leftovers of the village. Atemu startled everyone a little when he jumped of his horse and gave the rains to Hakizimana, who was staying behind by the walls.

The young Pharaoh turned to his men, with a pained look in his eyes. "Search for survivors."

"How could anyone have survived this?" whispered Chike.

But nonetheless they did what he said and went their separate ways, looking for survivors. When she had taken her distance from the others (she had left Kahi also behind with Hakizimana) a soft noise made Amarra look up and frown a little. "Phoenix?"

The bird flew towards her and dropped something just after it had passed her. Amarra walked towards the thing the bird had dropped. It was a small doll with black hair.

Taking it softly in her hands, her eyes only saddened even more. She held it softly against her chest and closed her eyes while shading a tear. Children. There had been children here.

A weight on her shoulder made her look up again and she saw that the bird had landed on her shoulder. "Who did this, sweetheart?"

The bird shrieked loudly and angrily while flying up again and towards one single direction. Amarra followed it, still holding the doll in her hands.

The bird led her through the streets and then finally landed on one of the remaining beams, staring sadly at something that was just behind a small hill in the village.

When Amarra walked past it, she immediately stopped dead in her tracks and gasped loudly. The feeling in her hands went numb, making the doll fall out of them and on the ground again.

But she could care less for the doll on that moment as the horror she saw in front of her was too big.

Hundreds of dead bodies were laying there. A view were piled up like they had been nothing more but pigs, ready for the slaughter.

And the children. All the children had the same fate just like most of the other people. There eyes were wide open and their last emotion was still written in them. Fear.

Amarra stumbled towards them, falling on her knees in front of them. The tears were now streaming over her face and she didn't even care that if anyone would see them, they would question if she was really man enough.

"Sacmis," breathed the young redhead woman out, recognizing the method of the killings immediately. "Sacmis, how could you do this? How?"

She closed her eyes and let her head hung down, the tears falling only more and more over her cheeks. The bird flew towards her again and landed beside her in the sand, resting its head on her lap, making a grieving sound.

She heard movements from behind her and the bird's head shot up again, letting out a protecting sound. But Amarra placed a hand on its head and shook her head. And with another grieving sound and a worried look, the bird flew up again.

Amarra rubbed the tears away and looked around. Atemu had walked up to her and the others too. The shock in all of their eyes were the same.

"I don't understand," whispered the young Pharaoh, taking a step towards the dead people. His dead people. "My generals and their armies should have been here."

"Your Majesty!" called Hakizimana's voice from a distant.

Everyone hurried towards the direction from where he had called. Amarra too but not before she had closed the eyes of one of the children that were laying dead in front of her and not before she had picked up the doll again.

When she joined the others and stared down the hill, she gasped again. Even more dead bodies were laying there but these bodies were those of Atemu's soldiers. No one had been spared.

Chike, who had walked among them to see if there were any survivors, came back with the sword of one of the generals. He gave Atemu the sword. "I'm sorry, Sire. There were no survivors."

Atemu took the sword from him and stared at him, sadness and even guilt in his eyes. He turned around and walked away from them. Amarra glanced worried after, understanding completely the pain he felt and the guilt that was now eating him from the inside.

The other men glanced down towards the destroyed camp too, the same shock and horror on their faces. The same pain to see fellow soldiers dead.

Amarra gave the others another single glance before she walked towards Atemu, who was now sitting kneeled on the ground. The sword was pushed in the ground in front of him. "I'm so sorry, Atemu."

"I knew this wouldn't end well," said Atemu without glancing at her. "I knew Anubis was stronger then ever and that he wouldn't stop for anything. Yet I gave them orders to go. How could I have done that?"

Amarra kneeled down beside him. "There was no way you could have known that this was going to happen."

"But that was it. I did know it. I knew this was going to happen. I knew they would die."

Amarra shook her head. "You're now telling yourself that you knew it because you want to blame someone." She placed a hand on his. "Blame them, not yourself. They killed these people without a reason. They burned these villages down just for fun. They murdered your soldiers just because they want to do something." He looked up at her. In his eyes she saw that he was listening to her. "They can't get away with this. We shouldn't let them. But we have just finished our training. We don't have the experience in war you have. We need someone to guide us through this. We need you to keep your head in the game and to stay focussed or else everyone will die. Every single soldier that you have, here and in other villages and cities and every single one of the Egyptian people."

He stared at her for a view minutes before he sighed and stared ahead. "You're right. There are other people still out there that are counting on us. We can't let them get hurt too." He stood up, strong and radiating authority again. "We will go after them." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you."

"We all need a wake up call from time to time."

He gave her a nod before walking towards his other men. "Anubis and his men are moving quickly. We will need to move fast and reach Luxor on time to warn them. We will take the desert pass." The men looked doubtful. "We're the only hope the people there have left. We can't let them suffer the same fate as what happened here."

"Sire, I really do…" said Hakizimana.

"Be silent!" snapped Atemu. "We're moving out and we're taking the desert pass. Stay on your watch, men. There is a chance we won't be there alone."

While everyone else walked back towards where they had left their stuff, Amarra staid on her knees in front of the sword and placed the doll against the bale. From up high a loud thunder was heard and the wind was picking up. She didn't notice it.

She bowed her head and closed her eyes. A single tear slipped over her cheek again. Then she slowly opened her eyes again. A new fire was burning in them. A hunger for revenge. A toll to make someone pay for the deaths of the innocent people and Atemu's soldiers. "Mark my words, Sacmis. You will pay. I won't let you get away with this. Even if it is the last thing I do."


	11. Battle of the Desert Pass

**Hey everyone!**

**A new chapter, like promised.**

**I found this really hard to write as this is in the movie where they fight in the mountains and they don't excatly have snow in Egypt.**

**So I improvised and I hope it came out okay. Let me know what you think about it.**

**Thank you for all the reviews and all. I love them so please review again.**

**Next week I won't be able to update. I've vacation next week so no school (yay!) but we've all sorts of celebrations and I've to work, a lot. So next time I will update is Monday 7 May. Sorry for that.**

**I hope you will enjoy this chapter and I hope I will hear from you.**

**XxX Emmetje**

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><p>A Girl in the Egyptian Army<p>

Chapter 10

Battle of the Desert Pass

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><p>Amarra was holding Kahi's reins in her hand while they made their way through the deserted desert pass.<p>

The wind had picked up and moved the sand everywhere. It was angry just as the sky was. Thunder and lighting were shown and heard and dark clouds threatened to attack them with rain too. But until that far, the rain staid away.

Everyone was moving slowly, keeping an eye out and watching the large hills suspiciously. They were all nervous and all on their best watch. Anubis and his army had the element of surprise on their sleeves and had a head start.

Amarra glanced up at the sky again. She hoped she would see her bird but there was nothing to see except dark thunder clouds and lightening.

She sighed and turned her gaze back down to the ground. Even though it was almost midday, it was darker then normal was and it was much colder then normal was.

They were walking in the desert when it was almost midday and a view recruits were shivering of the cold. Something just wasn't right.

And there was another thing that bothered Amarra. Every step they took, every step she took, the pressure in her chest was building up. A sense of power that she knew all too well. They were nearing something powerful and very dangerous. And whoever that was, they would probably sense them too.

A loud bang made them all startle and one of the cannons that shot through the sky and finally exploded, made them all hold their breaths.

Amarra turned around and looked angry at the now new hole in the cart. Mushu and Cri-kee were sitting in front of it, staring with big eyes after that exploded cannon. When they saw she was looking at them they pointed to one another and Amarra rolled her eyes frustrated and angry.

When she looked ahead again she saw that Atemu and Hakizimana were now standing in front of her on their horses. "What happened?" asked the Pharaoh.

"I don't know. I wasn't even close to the chart."

"You stupid little boy," yelled Hakizimana. "You just gave away our position."

"I…"

Suddenly an arrow shot through the sky and drilled itself into Atemu's shoulder, making the Pharaoh fall of his horse.

"Atemu!" Amarra wanted to hurry towards him but was stopped when the sound of battle cries got her attention and even more arrows flew towards them.

Atemu pulled the arrow out of his shoulder and quickly got back on his feet. "GET OUT OF RANGE!"

He didn't have to say that again because everyone immediately ran to different sides in a try to get cover.

Amarra pulled on Kahi's reins but her horse had lost it and was in total shock. "Kahi! Please! Calm down!"

More arrows were shot towards them and this time several of them had points that were on fire.

Amarra pulled again hard on Kahi's reins and got her horse finally so far to come with her. She gave a small yelp when several burning arrows hit the cart and set it on fire. This startled Kahi again and the horse started to prance.

Amarra tried to keep her down but realised that they would need the cannons. "Atemu!"

The young Pharaoh looked around and she mentioned towards the burning cart. "Soldiers, save the cannons!"

Three men immediately hurried towards the burning cart and started to pass over the cannons. Amarra was meanwhile again trying to calm Kahi down, which wasn't an easy job. The horse had gone completely wild because of the fire.

She quickly took out her sword and sliced through the bands that were keeping the cart locked to Kahi. Kahi jumped immediate away from the burning cart and Amarra jumped on her back, giving her the command to start galloping and get away from the cart before it would explode. Far they didn't come.

The cart exploded sending Amarra as well as Kahi to the ground. Two things flew through the air and landed in front of Amarra in the sand and she saw it were Mushu and Cri-kee.

"Oh sure," said Mushu. "Save the horse." After that he fell in the sand again.

Amarra quickly grabbed her sword and grabbed hold of Mushu and Cri-kee before running back to Kahi, jumping on her back again and galloping down the hills towards the hiding place from her fellow soldiers, who had found some rocks that were perfect to hide behind.

Arrows were flying around her ears and almost hit her a couple of time but she made it safely towards the stones, throwing the reins into the hands of another recruit while grabbing a cannon and helping the rest to shoot them at the archers from high up.

"You alright?" yelled Atemu when he saw her.

"I'm fine!" she yelled back.

"Fire!" They fired, hitting the archers again and they disappeared. Yafeu, who had just wanted to light the last cannon, was stopped by Atemu. "Hold it."

The smoke pulled away slowly and it was then that the pressure in Amarra's chest nearly exploded. Her eyes went up towards one of the larger hills. And there she saw two persons, both on horses.

One was a man with a hawk on his shoulder. He had a tanned skin, an evil grin on his face, his body was more muscles then anything else and he had dirty blonde hair.

The other person was a woman. She had a pale skin and black hair and even blacker eyes and she was wearing a black armour.

A hatred look appeared in Amarra's eyes when she saw that woman. "Sacmis," she spit out.

Upon gazing down on them, Sacmis started to smirk evilly and waved with her hand towards persons that were still hiding behind the hill.

Amarra's breathe caught in her throat when she saw that thousand other men on horses appeared behind them. And the cries and cheers of battle filled the air.

Atemu swallowed too before looking at his men. "Prepare to fight. If we die, we will die with honour."

Everyone took out their swords, even though it was with hesitation. They all knew very well that they would never survive against such a large army.

The man, Amarra assumed he was Anubis, pulled out his own sword and led out the loudest battle cry of all before racing down the hill on his horse, followed by his men. But the woman staid where she was, her long black hair floating with the wind.

"Yafeu," said Atemu. "Aim the cannon at Anubis."

Yafeu did what he said and tried to get the cannon in the right position to make it hit Anubis. Amarra pulled a face, knowing it would probably not work. And then her eyes caught something.

In the reflection on her sword she saw an enormous rock. It was shooting high towards the sky like a mountain and it was almost as big as one too. And on it there was laying a lot of sand. Sand that was connected to all the other hills.

An idea popped in her head. What is she could create a sand avalanche? It would certainly take all the men down. Even defeat them. The only thing she would need was something to make it all begin and disguise what she was doing. Something like…

She turned around and looked at Yafeu and the cannon. "Something like a cannon."

She made the decision and put her sword away before pushing Yafeu aside and grabbing the cannon.

"Hey!" protested the small muscular man.

Amarra paid no head put ran away from the safety of the rocks close to the cliff and closer towards the hill where Anubis and his men were coming down from.

"Wati! Come back!" yelled Atemu.

Amarra paid again no head and kept running. Mushu appeared on her shoulder. "Uh, what are we doing?"

"Saving Egypt. I hope."

"Really, because it looks more like a suicide."

"Stop!" she heard Atemu yell. "Wati, stop! Come back!"

Amarra did stop but it was not to turn around and head back. She pushed the cannon into the sand and aimed it first at Anubis before aiming it towards the large rock.

"Hey, girl. Pay attention," said Mushu. "I think it would be the right time about now to lit the thing. Quickly!"

Anubis had almost reached her and Amarra was smashing the rocks against each other, not getting the spark she needed to light the cannon.

Anubis' hawk flew up and was making its way towards her and attacked her, sending her back into the sand and losing the stones. When it tried to attack her another time, it was however stopped and attacked by Amarra's bird.

"Phoenix." The redhead girl looked up in delight when she saw the two battle each other in the sky.

"Amarra, the stones," said Mushu, who was seated on the cannon. "Quickly, quickly."

But she couldn't find them. Without thinking another time she just turned towards the cannon and opened her hand in a fast way, creating a small flame in her palm of her hand.

"I didn't know you could do that."

"There is a lot I can do that you don't know, Mushu." Amarra shot the fire towards the cannon and lit the wick, sending the cannon up into the sky.

"You missed!" she heard Mushu yell while he flew through the sky with the cannon towards her target. "How could you have missed? He was three feet in front of you!"

The cannon hit the large stone, sending a curtain of sand down and for a second it looked like Amarra's once green eyes, were made out of fire. The wind picked up even more, creating also small whirlwinds and the sand started to move. An avalanche was indeed created.

She gave Anubis a smug and satisfied smile and the God of the Death looked around, now seeing the sand coming their way and taking his men down with him. "Maybe you've better luck next time. If there ever comes one."

Anubis turned his attention furious at her and with a battle cry swung his sword towards her, slicing her right side.

Amarra groaned and fell on the sand ground, pressing her hands against the bleeding wound, before stumbling on her feet and starting to run back towards where the others were. She nearly bumped right into Atemu, who apparently had run after her.

She grabbed his arm and started to pull him with her. "Run!"

"No need to tell me that again!"

"This wasn't exactly the right time to play the knight in shining armour in a try to save the day!"

"Look who is talking!"

Atemu was now the one pulling Amarra with him, as he could run a little faster, and Amarra groaned slightly when her wound stung.

She also saw that Chike, Luzige and Yafeu had run towards them, in a try to help them but they were now turning around and running back too.

Kahi, seeing that Amarra was in danger, was prancing and managed to pull her reins out of the soldier's hand who had been holding her. She immediately galloped towards where Amarra and Atemu were.

When Amarra saw her, she let go of Atemu's hand and jumped on Kahi's back before reaching out to him and grabbing his hand again in a try to pull him also on Kahi and get them safely back to the cover of the rocks before the avalanche reached them.

But it was too late. The avalanche did hit them and pulled Atemu's hand out of hers again and pulled him away from her.

Amarra and Kahi were also buried under the sand but somehow the horse found the strength in herself to push to the surface again.

"Amarra!" she heard someone yell from a distant. It sounded like Mushu. "Amarra!"

Kahi and she broke through the sand again and Kahi tried to climb up against it but they were buried under the sand again. Kahi succeeded for the third time to get them back to the surface and Amarra scanned the moving plains in a try to find Atemu.

Then she saw him. He looked unconscious and the sand was taking him towards the edge. "Atemu!"

She turned Kahi around and they jumped through the sand towards where Atemu was. They quickly reached him and Amarra pulled him with her on the horse.

"Move, Kahi! Move!"

"Amarra!" Mushu came floating over the sand on a shield. "Look! I found our lucky cricket!"

"Not really the time, Mushu! I'm trying to not get ourselves killed!" yelled the redheaded woman while cursing herself. "Damn it! Why can I create these things and not stop them?"

Suddenly an arrow with a rope tied on it ended up beside them and Amarra quickly grabbed it, pulling the rope around Kahi's belly before tying the end of it to Kahi's reins and after that she grabbed the arrow in her hands and pulled out a bow.

"Nice," said Mushu who jumped on Kahi. "You can sit beside me." Then they screamed. "We're going to die! Amarra, we're going to die!"

"No, we are not!" yelled Amarra angry. "In Ra's name! We can't die!"

"Amarra, the cliff!"

"..!" She shot the arrow up. "We've come too far to die now!"

"No way we're going to survive this! This is it! We're going to die! Nice knowing you, Cri-kee!"

They fell over the edge and Mushu and Cri-kee screamed. But just before they really fell, something stopped them and slowly they started to get pulled up again.

"I knew we could do it," said Mushu. "You're the man!" Amarra raised an eyebrow. "Well, sort off."

Amarra smiled a little and patted Kahi's neck. "Keep climbing, girl," she told her. "Keep climbing."

Kahi neighed softly and kept climbing. When they reached the top again, they were pulled over the edge of the cliff by the other recruits.

Amarra let herself fall back on the sand, taking deep breaths and thanking everything and everyone who had helped them to survive.

From beside her, someone whispered things and when she glanced towards that side, she saw that Hakizimana was checking how Atemu was doing. He wasn't back to the land of the conscious yet but he was breathing and that was enough to ease her worries for now.

He was alright. She let out a grateful sign, looking up at the sky that was now slowly turning blue again. He was alright. She was alright. Everyone was alright.

She turned around on her belly and stared over the desert pass. Anubis and his men were gone. Buried under the sand. And Sacmis…

A frown pulled itself on her face. Somehow she doubted the woman had been killed by the sand. Somehow she doubted that the quick glance from each other that they had seen during this battle, would be the last time they would ever see each other.

"Take a view steps back, guys. Give them some air," she heard Luzige say.

She slowly pushed herself on her knees and crawled towards Atemu. He still hadn't gained conscious. "Atemu?" He didn't react and she shook his shoulder slightly. "Come on, Atemu." She shook a little harder. "Wake up."

Finally he let out a groan and a relieved sign went through the group. Next he moved and then his eyes slowly opened. The gaze in them looked a little dazed, especially when he looked up at her.

She gave him a small smile. "Hey there, sleepyhead. Had a nice nap?"

"Wati…?"

"Is there anyone else you know with red hair? While you were taking a little time out and caught up with some sleep, we defeated Anubis and his army."

"What?"

He shot up, immediately wide awake. But maybe he should have taken things slow because after that he groaned and pressed a hand against his head. "Easy, Pharaoh," said Amarra, again with a smile. "You were out for quite a while and I don't know how hard you hit your head. Or maybe the strength of the avalanche just knocked you out. Whatever it was, it couldn't have been good for you."

Atemu glanced over the now empty sand plains before he turned to Amarra again. "What got in your head?"

"An idea. A weird, crazy stupid idea that might or might not have worked. Luckily, it did." She shrugged, giving him another small smile. "What can I say? I once got the advice from a young and odd but very wise man to use the brains I had instead of trying to use the muscles I didn't have in a try to be normal."

Atemu gazed into her eyes before smiling. "Wati, you're the craziest man I've ever met. And for that, I owe you my life. For that, we all owe you our lives." He placed a hand on her upper arm. "From now on you've my complete trust."

"I thought I already had that," she joked while laughing a little. It was probably the nerves that everything had ended well.

Atemu laughed too. "Let me put it differently then. From now on, I trust you with my life."

"Let's hear it for Wati!" cheered Luzige. Everyone cheered. "The bravest of us all!"

More cheers were heard and Atemu stood up, giving her his hand to help her get up too. She took it gladly and he pulled her up.

"King of the Hills!"

"Better! King of the Mountains!"

"Yes! Yes!"

A cheerful shriek was heard but was not noticed by the cheering men. Amarra did notice and looked up. She saw her bird circle around through the sky, singing softly and shrieking happily.

"_Thank you, Phoenix._"

Then the bird stopped singing and glanced at her, now afraid. Amarra frowned, wondering what has gotten into her. Then she felt it.

A sharp pain went through her side, making her gasp and press both her hands against her right side. The cheers immediately stopped.

"Wati?" asked Atemu worried.

"I'm…" Amarra's face pulled away in pain. "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine." His hand landed on one of her wrists. "Let me see that."

"It's just… It's just a sting," she tried to wave him of. "It will be gone in a minute."

"Wati…" Atemu stopped when she moved her hands a little and when he saw that there was blood on them. "He is wounded! Get help! NOW!"

Amarra's vision was getting blurry and her legs gave up under her, sending her to the ground. She was caught by Atemu, who held her tightly there in his arms. "It's nothing…" she tried again. But it didn't sound convincing.

She saw him smile down on her. "You're a terrible liar."

Her vision was getting more and more blurry with the second. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't you dare to apologize now. You can't help it that you got wounded."

"I'm not apologizing for that." Her voice was getting softer and weaker. "I'm apologizing because of… Because of…"

Atemu looked worried down on her. "Wati. Come on, stay with us."

"… Sacmis…" Amarra breathed out. "I'm sorry because of her…"

Then her eyes fell close and she faded away into darkness. The pain just overtook her and everything that happened after that, Atemu's begging to open her eyes again or him carrying her away from the pass towards the nearest doctor, she just failed to notice.


	12. Choices The Heart Makes

__**Hello there,everyone!**

**Missed me?**

**I'm going to keep it short as you will all be anxious waiting for the moment they find out that Amarra is actually a girl!**

**Thank you for all the reviews and please, keep reviewing. I love them and they make my day.**

**I will update again next Wednesday, that is the 16th. Why so late again? My mom is turning 50 this saturday and w've got to plan a big party.**

**So until then. Have fun reading and let me know what you think.**

**XxX Emmetje**

* * *

><p>A Girl in the Egyptian Army<p>

Chapter 11

Choices The Heart Makes

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><p>Atemu was pacing around in front of the tent where Wati was laying in and where he was being treated for his wounds.<p>

Chike, Yafeu and Luzige were sitting on the ground opposite of the tent and were waiting just as anxious for the news they would get as he was.

Behind them there was standing Wati's horse. The beast was moving impatiently back and forward and kept neighing.

The other men had put their tents close to the one Wati was laying in and were resting while saying prayers. They all hoped he would make it. All except maybe Hakizimana.

Atemu couldn't stop thinking about how he should have prevented him getting wounded. He shouldn't have let him get hurt in this whole mess. Not after all the lives of the men and women it had already taken.

This boy had cheered him up, even though he had been very hard on him in the beginning. He had made him laugh with his silly stories. He had made him trust him.

But there was something else, realised the Pharaoh while he kept pacing around. Something kept pulling him towards that strange redheaded boy. Something kept him going back to him to just hear him talk for a moment. It was almost as if he was attracted to him. But that was crazy. Or was it?

The boy had something fragile and it was a strange thing to say, he realised, but he also had something feminine. And he was so light. That he had found out when he had carried him away from the desert pass to get him help.

Finally the doctor came out of the tent and everyone immediately looked up at him, hopeful for the news.

Atemu approached him as first. "How is he?"

"She is fine. The wound wasn't very deep and she hadn't lost much blood yet. She has been very lucky."

Atemu looked confused at the doctor. "She?"

The doctor nodded, gesturing towards the tent. "Yes, she. Go take a look yourself, Sire."

He didn't have to say that again because Atemu pushed the canvasses aside and walked into the tent.

Wati was laying on a mat in the tent, being covered by a blanket. But for a change the knot in his hair was free, spreading long red curls everywhere.

The look in those emerald green eyes was still weak but he saw him smile a little while sitting up. And then it came, the shock.

The blanket fell of his chest and showed that it was bandaged up. But that wasn't what caused the shock. It was the fact that he had breasts that shocked him.

He? No, he meant she. She had breasts.

When she saw the shock wash over his face, she looked down and quickly realised what got him so shocked. She grabbed the blanket and held it in front of her chest, while looking down saddened. "I can explain."

Atemu opened his mouth to say something but he never got that chance when the canvasses were pulled open again and when Hakizimana walked in. The face of the councillor was shocked to. "So it's true." The woman looked up and the face of the councillor turned angry. "You."

Atemu turned around and walked out of the tent. "Atemu!" he heard her call after him. It pained him to hear her say his name like that but he didn't respond.

The cool air hit his face and he took in a deep breathe. He was confused. This woman had fooled everyone with her story of being a man. Even him. He cursed himself when he realised that this woman had found herself a place in his heart without knowing it and without him knowing that she was a woman.

Hakizimana came also out of the tent, pulling the woman with him. She had the blanket wrapped tightly around her body, trying to prevent anyone else seeing her chest. "I knew there was something wrong about you the moment I saw you!" He threw her on the ground in the sand. "A woman!" There were some gasps. "A traitorous snake!" He walked towards Atemu, who tried his hardest not to look around at her. "The same woman who insulted me, nonetheless! She's Zahur Retenu's daughter!"

"My name is Amarra." He couldn't stop himself when she spoke out those words and turned around, his eyes meeting hers. "I did it to save my father. He got wounded in the last war he fought in and the doctors said he would never heal completely. He can hardly walk without the help of a walking stick. If he would have gone to war, he would never have survived."

"High treason!" snapped Hakizimana.

"I didn't mean for it to go this far, to fool so many. But I couldn't let him die. What would you have done in my place?"

There came understanding on Atemu's face. He understood completely why she had done it. He would have probably done the same.

"The ultimate dishonour!" yelled Hakizimana in her face.

"Will you shut up already?" snapped Amarra back. "You don't know anything about my motivates. You don't know anything about honour. The only thing you know about is to save your own skin! You ran and hide away when the war broke out, yet you dare here to stand and speak like you know all about it! Yes, I am a woman and that means I shouldn't have had this part in this war. But don't you dare to act like you're one of the great men who won it. Those are the men that do the dirty work." She pointed towards the soldiers. "Worthless peasants, as you call them. Well, they defeated Anubis and his army. And what did you? Nothing! I meant what I said back when we first met and I'm saying it again: you're hardly a man!"

There were loud gasps and Hakizimana's face pulled away in anger and he raised his hand, to slap her across the face. But he never got the chance because Atemu caught his wrist and stopped him. His councillor turned towards him and Atemu gave him a stern, even angry look. "Treason or not, she stays a woman. Show her some respect."

He let go of Hakizimana's wrist and his councillor straightened himself before saying, completely ignoring what had been said before: "Your Highness, the punishment."

Atemu looked at Amarra again and found himself once again looking into her eyes. She was still seated on her knees in the sand with the blanket wrapped tightly around her and with her hair moving wildly with the wind.

He pulled out the sword that was hanging on the saddle of her horse, making several men gasp and her horse neigh and prance on its back legs.

"Restrain her," commanded Hakizimana, gesturing at the horse. One man did so but it wasn't easy. Atemu walked closer towards her and he heard Luzige, Yafeu and Chike run towards him in a try to stop him while begging 'no'. But they were also stopped by Hakizimana. "You know the law."

Atemu stopped in front of her and she glanced up at him. Her eyes sad but a fire burning in them. She was proud and determinate. Even if it would cost her her life, she would not regret her decision.

He raised the sword and she still didn't look away. But instead of taking a swing at her and kill her, he pushed the sword right in front of her in the ground. "A life for a life. You saved mine, I spare yours."

"But Sire…" protested Hakizimana.

Atemu raised his hand and silenced Hakizimana. "I do have one question regarding the fact that you tried to save your father's life."

"He and my mother love each other more then anything else in this world," whispered Amarra, finally glancing down "She would die of a broken heart if he had died. Especially in a war where she had already known from that it would kill him."

"And what about you?" She looked up again. "What about all the people that would miss you when you had died in this war?"

"What people? In case you failed to notice, I'm not exactly normal." Tears were sparkling in her eyes, making him nearly fall on his knees in front of her in a try to comfort her. "I told you that only a brainless, blind idiot would ever marry me. The whole thing about being a daughter is to bring your family honour by marrying the right man. Not ever going to happen with me. I tried but it failed, miserably. I've no man that loves me. I've no man that I love. So who would miss me so much that it would kill him?"

"How about your parents?" asked Atemu. "You're their daughter. How would your death have affected them?"

She suddenly was speechless. "I…"

"Do you think they would be able to live with themselves if you had died during this battle, knowing that you had left to keep them alive and happily together?"

"I just did what my heart told me to do," said Amarra, looking down again. "I did what I was thought was right, no matter how many rules I would break and no matter what the consequences would be. But I don't expect you to understand."

"_I do_," Atemu thought but he didn't say those words. He just turned his back towards her. "Move out!"

"But, Your Highness," protested Hakizimana. "You can't just…"

"I said: move out," snapped Atemu, silencing his councillor again. "And don't dare to question my orders or it will be your head I will have."

Everyone quickly grabbed their stuff and they walked away. But Atemu couldn't leave without glancing one more time over his shoulder towards the young woman in the sand. Her head was hanging low and her eyes were closed. And tears were rolling over her cheeks.

And with a pained heart he turned around and walked on, leaving her all alone there in the sand.

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><p>Amarra was sitting on the ground and gazing down at Cri-kee, who was trying to get a small fire starting. The night was coming closer and it was getting colder.<p>

They were still close to the desert pass and they were still on the exact same place as where they had been left behind.

Kahi walked towards Amarra and pulled the blanket, which was lying over her back, off her and tried to get it around her shoulders.

Amarra gave her horse a small smile while taking the blanket and wrapping it tightly around her. There was a very sad look in her eyes.

After that her horse laid down beside her, giving her some support in her back and some extra warmth.

Cri-kee shivered from the cold and jumped also towards the blanket, hiding under it in a try to get some extra warmth.

Amarra hadn't spoken a word ever since the Pharaoh had left them behind and even though Mushu had tried very hard to get her to talk, he had failed miserably.

"I was this close. This close." He made a gesture with his paws. "To impressing the ancestors, getting the top shelf." He signed. "Oh man. All my fine work." He sat down beside Amarra and leaned against on of the things she had packed up. "Hi."

Amarra sighed. "I should never have left home."

"Hey, come on. You went to save your father's life. Who knew you would end up shaming him and disgracing your ancestors and losing all your friends?" Cri-kee's fire went out. "And betraying the guy you started to like? You know, you just gotta… You just got to learn to let these things go." Mushu started to sob and cry a little.

"Maybe I didn't go for my father. Maybe I went to prove that I could do things right. So when I would look in the mirror –" She picked up her sword and glanced at her reflection in it. "– I would see someone who was worthy, even if it was for a short while." A tear slipped over her cheek. "But I was wrong." She threw the sword back on the ground. "I see nothing."

Mushu glanced at the sword and then up at Amarra, who was crying again softly and who pulled the blanket even tighter around herself. "That's just because this needs a little spit, that's all." He grabbed the sword, spat on it and started to rub it. "Let me shine this up for you." When he had finished cleaning it, he held it up again. "Look at you. You're so pretty." He laughed a little but when he saw that Amarra just looked saddened towards the other direction, his smile faded. He signed. "The truth is: we're both frauds. Your ancestors never sent me, they don't even like me." He put the sword down again. "I mean, you risked your life to save people you love. I risked your life to help myself. At least you had good intentions."

Amarra smiled a little. Cri-kee jumped on the sword and looked at his reflection before starting to cry while chirping. "What?" yelled Mushu half. "What do you mean you're not lucky?" He grabbed the cricket in his paw. "You lied to me?" Cri-kee nodded his head, making Mushu turn his attention to Kahi. "And what are you, a sheep?"

Kahi looked slightly annoyed at him and Mushu threw Cri-kee over his shoulder away with a groan. Amarra signed. "I'll have to face my father sooner or later. Let's go home."

"Yeah," signed Mushu. "This ain't going to be pretty." He climbed on Amarra's shoulder. "But don't you worry, kay? Things will work out." Amarra looked down, again with a sad look in her eyes, but Mushu pushed her head a little up. "We started this thing together and that's how we will finish it." He hugged her. "I promise."

"Thank you, Mushu."

They let each other go again and Mushu crawled also under the blanket. "And who knows? Maybe when this whole thing has cooled down a little, that that Pharaoh of yours will end up appearing at your door."

"I doubt it," said Amarra, the sadness in her eyes growing. "He probably never even want to think about me again, let alone see me." She sighed. "But you were right. I did like him. I still do. But everything is ruined now."

"You sure? You two did have a click. It might have not been a good thing, as he believed that you were a man, but it still was there. No denying that."

"Maybe. But I'm not the right person for him. I mean, he's the Pharaoh!" She laughed a little but there was no joy in it. "I started to like the Pharaoh. Can't you image what would have happened if he had taken everything okay with me being a woman? Can you imagine me becoming Queen?" She shook her head. "The last thing Egypt now needs is a stubborn and stupid woman as a Queen." She buried her face in her hands. "God, what was I thinking?"

"Hey, you can't deny your feeling," said Mushu softly. "And seeing you now and how much you blame yourself for betraying him, I say your feelings for him were pretty real."

"And that is why it hurts so much. But I should have known that this would happen. I should have known it was meant to happen when I started to like him. Someone was doomed to find out sooner or later that I am a woman and it was doomed to reach him." She pulled the blanket even closer. "I guess I can be happy that it happened so soon and that it didn't happen after months of getting to know him through and through. That would only be more painful."

"I don't know. You two did already know each quite well, if you ask me. Maybe if you had known him even better then he would have understood it. Or maybe you would have told him yourself instead of him finding out, to show him that you trusted him enough to tell him all your secrets."

"All my secrets?" Amarra snorted. "I don't even know half of all my secrets myself. And if I would have told him about my secrets, the ones I do know about, he would have freaked out and probably have me executed or thrown into prison."

"I guess your secrets have something to do with those weird things you can do?" asked Mushu, sounding a little curious.

Amarra nodded. "I can do those things as for long as I can remember but I don't know why. The only thing I do know is that it has something to do with Phoenix."

"Your creepy bird?"

Amarra nodded again. "She has always been around. She appears whenever I need her. She is there whenever I need help and support. She comforts me when I'm sad or cheers me up when I feel down. But she also reflects my emotions like shock, anger and sadness."

"Was that why she attacked me? Because I startled you?"

"Because you scared me and made me uncomfortable. She was just trying to protect me." Amarra sighed and pushed herself on her feet. "But I really don't want to talk about that right no. Let's get packed up and go home. We've been away long enough."

While she was putting all her stuff on Kahi, Anubis' hawk flew over them unnoticed and made its way towards the desert pass. There it flew low over the sand while searching.

It shrieked loudly when a hand pushed suddenly through the sand surface and it flew towards that hand.

The hand was followed by an arm and that arm was followed by an entire body. It was Anubis.

He crawled out the sand while breathing fast and looking angry around. There was nothing to see. Everything was deserted. His army was gone.

He let out a loud, furious growl that even reached the place where Amarra, Mushu, Cri-kee and Kahi were.

The growl startled them and she made their way towards the closest hill, glancing over the edge down towards the desert what she saw made her gasp.

Anubis had made his way back on his feet and he wasn't the only one who had reappeared out of the sand. An archer climbed down one of the hills and joined him. Two almost identical looking men climbed over the edge of the cliff and joined him. Three other men broken through the surface of the sand and also joined him.

And then there was a furious scream and the woman broke through the sand. Her black hair moved angrily with the wind and the furious look in her eyes made Amarra shiver.

"I told you that we should have been on our guard!" snapped Sacmis, joining the seven other men. "I told you so, didn't I?"

"We sensed the power and now I know who possesses it," snapped Anubis back. "The young soldier who caused this." He mentioned around. "The one who caused the avalanche and who I wounded."

"A young soldier, you say?" asked Sacmis, looking intrigued.

"Are you deaf, my Black Queen? And he's probably dead by now so let's not worry about that anymore."

"No, I'm not deaf," bitched Sacmis, ignoring the other comment. "Different then you."

The two exchanged angry glances and for a moment Amarra thought that they would start to fight each other. But they didn't.

"So what's the new plan?" asked Sacmis.

"The new plan? There is no new plan."

"You're giving up?"

"Never. There's no new plan as we will keep to the old plan."

"That's madness. Trying to attack the Palace with only eight men is suicide."

"Oh, we aren't going to attack it. We're going to infiltrate it. No doubt that the Pharaoh will think the thread is gone. That we are dead. I say we proof him otherwise."

His men snickered but Sacmis didn't look pleased. "And what about the power? It is stronger then ever."

"You really are deaf. The boy is dead. No man or woman could have survived a wound like that."

"Then the power wasn't him. You feel it too, don't you?"

"Then the same thing keeps standing, Sacmis. Whoever possesses it, if he or she comes in our way, we will kill him or her."

"This is not a good idea."

"We had a deal!" yelled Anubis angry in her face. "You would help me kill the Pharaoh and destroy Egypt and in return I would help you kill that bloody archenemy of yours!" Amarra's eyes widened when she heard that. "You want her dead, now don't you?"

"Yes."

"Then you help me!"

Sacmis was silent for a second before answering: "Fine! I'm hungry anyway."

"Now let's go. We're ever almost there."

They walked away and Amarra gasped again. She slid down the hill and grabbed her sword that still had been lying on the ground. After putting it back in its sheath, she jumped on Kahi's back and turned her horse towards the desert pass again.

"Uhm," said Mushu. "Home is that way." He pointed towards the other direction.

"I've to do something."

"Did you not see those men? They popped right out of the sand. Like daisies."

"Mushu, if I don't ride towards Luxor and warn everyone, Anubis and his men will kill everyone. And no one can stop Sacmis except me."

"The woman?" asked Mushu confused.

"Yes! The woman! Their deal, I'm part of it! And I will not let her kill Atemu just because she wants me so desperately dead!" Mushu looked a little doubtful. "Are we in this together or not?"

Mushu looked down before glancing at Cri-kee. The cricket chirped and nodded with a big smile, making Mushu grin. "Let's go kick some evil God butt!"

The two jumped on Kahi's backside and Amarra pushed her heels into her belly and they galloped on, towards Luxor.


	13. Battle of the Palace

**Hey, hey!**

**There I am again! With a new chapter! Like promised.**

**First of all: AnaleighJames, happy late birthday. I hope you had an amazing day and that there will come many more years.**

**Second of all: thank you for all the reviews, guys. Like always, I love them. I'm really glad to hear that you guys like the story.**

**And last: we are nearing the end of the story. Which I still haven't finished completely. Which is a problem. Which means I can tell you for sure whn I will update again (that's next Wednesday) but there will come a time, very soon, that I can't tell you guys for sure. **

**SO SORRY!**

**But until then, have fun reading and please review. I still want to know what you guys think is superb and what can be changed to make it better.**

**XxX Emmetje**

* * *

><p>A Girl in the Egyptian Army<p>

Chapter 12

Battle of the Palace

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><p>Amarra galloped into Luxor and looked around. It was very crowded in the streets and everyone was celebrating the fact that Anubis and his army were defeated.<p>

There were colourful lights outside and everywhere you looked you saw people dancing, drinking, laughing and enjoying their safety.

"_If they only knew about the danger they're in._"

Amarra urged Kahi forward again, pushing through the crowd of people that made annoyed noises and gave angry yells as she made her way through them.

"Come on, guys," she muttered. "Where are you?"

Finally she caught the sight of familiar faces. Her old army buddies were walking in a line through the main street and they were making their way towards the Palace.

They were guided by a stream of entertainers. The parade was led by men with drums, they were followed by men with trumpets and after them came belly dancers. Then there was a man who kept saying "Make way for the heroes of Egypt" and after him there came the heroes themselves. The parade was ended by a large fake dragon that was moved by a view men that were hiding under the costume and that you couldn't see.

Hakizimana and Atemu were riding at the front of the army but where Hakizimana waved at the people with his head held high as if he had defeated Anubis and his army all on his own, Atemu was looking down with a sad look on his face, just like the other men.

"Haya!" Amarra pushed Kahi forward again, pushing through the crowd again and unto the main street. "Atemu!"

Atemu looked up and around when he heard someone call out his name and for a second relief and a slight hint of happiness washed over his face. "Amarra."

Amarra held Kahi in when she was riding beside him. "You're in danger. Anubis has survived. He, the woman and six other men are here in the city. They want to finish what they started."

"You don't belong here, Amarra," said Atemu, the sadness growing in his eyes again. "Go home."

But she didn't. "Atemu, I saw them in the desert pass. You have to believe me."

"Why should I? You lied to me before."

"I might have lied about my name and about the fact that I'm a woman, but everything else wasn't a lie. And I told you the truth about not wanting to get married and for what reasons I had." He ignored her, making her eyes flash angry and she pushed Kahi forward again, riding in front of him and blocking his way. "Why would I come back and still risk the chance to get myself killed for what I've done if everything was just another lie? Atemu, I telling you: Anubis is here and wants to kill you."

"Amarra, just go home."

"You said you would trust Wati with your life. Why is Amarra any different? Because she is a woman and not a man? Or because you just listen too much to your stupid councillors?" He still didn't say anything. "You gave me a word of advice when you send me home the first time. Let me now give you a word of advice: use your own brains for a change instead of letting your councillors use them. Make for once the choice that you think is right instead of making the choices they say is right."

Atemu still didn't say anything but pushed his horse on and passed her. The parade went on but when Luzige, Chike and Yafeu passed her, they gave her a smile. "Please, guys," she begged them. "Keep your eyes open. I know they're here." They gave her a nod before walking on.

Amarra turned Kahi around and ride back into the crowd. When she found a water trough, she placed Kahi there and jumped off her back.

"And where do you think you're going?" asked Mushu.

"To find someone who will believe me and willing to listen. I can't let him die, Mushu," said Amarra while running into the crowd. "And absolutely not by Sacmis' hand."

She pushed her way through the crowd and saw from a distant how Atemu had reached the Palace. There he was greeted by probably more of his councillors and a view of his priests. They all looked very pleased by the fact he was back, safe and sound.

The dragon was the only one of the entertainers that were still walking with the parade and it blocked her view on the young Pharaoh. He was also blocking him and Hakizimana from his soldiers.

The people cheered and kept cheering until Atemu turned around to say a view words. All at the same time they fell silent. "People of Egypt, the Gods have smiled down on us!" he spoke in loud voice. "We can all sleep safely tonight! Thanks to these brave warriors!"

The people cheered and Amarra sighed, realising he wasn't giving himself any credit. Why wasn't he?

She grabbed a man's shoulder. "Sir, the Pharaoh is in danger." The man snorted and pulled his shoulder out of her grasp before walking away. "But Anubis and his men are here." She walked towards another man. "Please, you've too…" But this man also snorted and walked away.

She tried a view more times but always got the same reaction. She turned a little desperately towards Mushu. "No one will listen."

"Huh? I'm sorry, did you say something?"

Amarra gave him an annoyed look. "Mushu."

"Hey, you're a girl again, remember? No one listens to a girl."

"They should," said Amarra, now very angry. "Atemu will die if no one does something and I can't do it on my own." She gave a soft annoyed scream. "Why isn't anyone listening?"

"I am listening."

Amarra turned around and saw a young woman walk towards her. She had wild brown hair and dark blue eyes. She was wearing a short sand coloured dress and a bandage around her head.

"You are?"

The young woman nodded. "The Pharaoh is a friend of mine. And if you say he is in danger, I believe you." She held out her hand with a big bright smile. "I'm Mana."

Amarra shook it. "Amarra."

"So who is treating my oldest and dearest friend?" She was awful cheerful about that.

"Anubis is. He survived the attack together with six of his men and a woman named Sacmis. She is very dangerous. She can kill anyone with just one single touch."

"And you're sure they are here?"

"Positive. I heard them talking about it myself and I saw them moving their way towards the city. I tried to tell him but he won't listen."

"Really?" Mana looked surprised. "That's strange. He normally always listens to things like this. He doesn't care if it is a man or woman who is telling him."

"Well." Amarra rubbed the back of her neck looking rather uncomfortable. "I might have lied to him about who I am." Mana gave her a confused look. "I acted like I was a man and joined his army to save my father's life."

"Ah. Now I understand." Then she sighed. "He's sometimes too stubborn." She grabbed Amarra by her wrist and pulled her with her. "Come on. Maybe he will take everything serious if I tell him that I believe you. Or maybe Isis or one of the other priests will believe us. Probably not Aknadin and Seth. They are even more stubborn then he is. But I'm sure Mahad and Isis and maybe Shimon will listen."

She was holding a whole speech about who would listen and why and who wouldn't while they pushed their way through the crowd to get closer to the Palace, going as fast as they could.

"Tonight we can celebrate!" said Atemu. "But before we start to celebrate our victory –" Everyone cheered when he said that but when he raised his hand, they fell silent again. "– I want to have a moment of silence in memory of those who were killed in this war. The brave soldiers that thought in a try to stop them but also all the innocent people that Anubis and his men decided to kill on their way. That they may rest in piece."

Everyone bowed their heads, including Atemu and his councillors and his priests, and a great silence fell through the streets.

Amarra and Mana were still pushing their way through the crowd towards the Palace and were the only ones who were not bowing their heads. Mana still hadn't fell silent and was just chitchatting like they weren't in any kind of danger at all.

And then Amarra saw something. A shadow on the roof of the Palace. A large shadow with a bird shape on his shoulder. And then the bird shape flew up and she saw it was Anubis' hawk, making his way towards Atemu.

Then she noticed another thing. One of the legs of the men that were under the dragon costume was sticking out and the pants and boots on it were not the kind of ones that normal Egyptians were wearing.

Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth, screaming on the top of her lungs: "Atemu!"

Atemu's head shot up and their eyes met for just a second before the hawk attacked him, sending him to the ground.

The next moment the dragon costume was ripped to pieces and Anubis' six men jumped out of it and attacked the priests and councillors before they had the chance to understand what was going on and a chance to fight back.

People gasped when two of the men grabbed Atemu by his arms and pulled him into the Palace, closing the doors behind them.

The soldiers ran towards the doors but reached them too late and they closed right in front of them.

An evil laugh filled the skies, making everyone look up and Amarra's eyes narrowed when she saw that it was Anubis who was standing on the roof and laughing. People gasped and ran away in fright when they saw him. "So much for the victory!"

Mana and Amarra reached the Palace and the brown haired woman immediately hurried towards the priests and helped the only woman up. "Isis, are you alright?"

"We're fine," said one of the two older looking priests.

"But the Pharaoh," said the one who was bolt.

They all glanced towards the closed Palace doors. The soldiers were trying to get the doors open by using a large stone sculpture.

Amarra ran past Mana and the priests and the councillors, hearing a frustrated Hakizimana mumble: "What on earth is she doing here?"

"Amarra," called Mana after her. "What are you doing?"

Amarra glanced over her shoulder back at her, without stopping with running. "They will never break through those doors in time to reach him. But I've got an idea." Mana immediately left the priests too and ran after her. Reaching the soldiers, Amarra whistled on her fingers, getting their attention. "Hey, guys! I've got an idea!"

She ran away and Mana followed her. And she was followed again by Yafeu, Chike and Luzige. After they had found cover behind one of the side walls, that was roofed by a balcony that was resting on large pillars, Amarra quickly explained her plan and the three men and her changed into different clothes.

When they were done with changing, Chike was dressed in a blue dress and was wearing a wig; Luzige was wearing a yellow dress and has his hair pulled up in a woman's hairdo; Yafeu was wearing a red dress and had just like Luzige, a woman's hairdo. They were also all covered in make-up, had fans, were wearing earrings and were wearing black slippers. It now also looked like they had breasts but that was only because they had put fruit into their cleavages.

Amarra was wearing a long sand coloured skirt and a matching upper piece that had a heart shaped neckline and two straps walked over her shoulders. It fell slightly open after it had passed over her cleavage and there were two dark brown slippers on her feet. Further more there were hanging long golden earrings in her ears and there were hanging several golden bracelets around her wrists. Her hair was hanging freely on her back, making it a wild curling mess of red locks.

"You look different in a dress," said Mana.

"Good different," commanded Luzige, making Amarra roll her eyes.

"Come on. We can't lose more time." She gave all three men a band that had the same colour as their dresses and she gave Mana also a band. She gave the example of how they would reach up and enter the castle.

Just like she had used the weights to climb up the pole in the trainings camp to retrieve the arrow, they would use the bands to climb up the pillars and jump on the balcony and enter the castle.

And when they all got it, they started to climb up.

* * *

><p>Atemu was pushed on the balcony of the throne room by the two men that had grabbed him. There he was put at the railing so all the people that had gathered by the Palace, were able to see him.<p>

His eyes scanned the ground, searching for a familiar red haired head but he found none. He did however see his priests glance up with worried expressions on their faces.

"Boo!" Anubis appeared hanging upside down in front of him and climbed down from the roof and unto the railing. "Guard the doors," he instructed his men.

The two let him go and walked away, closing the doors behind them. Atemu looked at Anubis and whished he had believed Amarra when she had warned him. And why hadn't he? Because of his damned pride.

"Your borders and armies have fallen. You tried to stop me but failed," said Anubis. "And now it's your turn to fall."

Atemu met his eyes. "We've been here before, Anubis. You tried before and failed. Why should now be any different?"

He gasped when Anubis' hand shot out and closed itself around his throat. "Don't push your luck, Pharaoh. For too long you have humiliated me! For too long you have tested my patience! I admit, I will miss our little wars and our fights, as they kept me busy. But what I won't miss is you and all the times you defeated me with that smug smile on your face!"

Atemu clawed on his hand, trying to get himself free. "I never was smug about me defeating you," he managed to bring out. "And I certainly won't miss the wars and the fights."

He was thrown on the ground where he coughed and gasped for air. "Bow for me."

"Never."

"Bow for me and I might just change my mind about killing you slowly and painfully."

Atemu slowly stood up and shook his head with a proud, strong and stubborn look in his eyes. "You will never see the day that I will bow for you, Anubis. I die before I do so willingly."

He gasped for breathe again but this time it was because Anubis' fist had landed in his stomach. It made him double over. "Have it your way. I will like bringing you on your knees."

Meanwhile inside the Palace: Amarra, Mana, Yafeu, Chike and Luzige had reached the other balcony and had climbed into the Palace and had made their way towards where Anubis was holding Atemu.

Amarra glanced around the corner and saw the guards that were guarding the doors. Apparently Anubis wanted to take his revenge on Atemu all by himself as he had all his men guard the door. "All right. You all know the plan. Are there any questions?"

"Does this dress make me look fat?" asked Yafeu, receiving a slap from Luzige.

"Any _other_ questions?" asked Amarra. Her four companions shook their heads. "Good. Showtime."

Amarra, Luzige, Yafeu and Chike opened their fans, holding them in front of their faces and walked around the corner. Mana staid behind and would be back-up.

Going all giggly and waving their hips a little too much, they walked towards the six men. "Who goes there?" demanded an archer, readying his bow.

Another of the men raised his sword but was stopped by the man beside him. "Concubines."

"Ugly concubines."

"Who would have thought that the Pharaoh would have them?"

Yafeu waved at the men, making the one who had also described them as concubines wave back. He got the elbow of the man beside him in his ribs.

Suddenly an apple fell from under Luzige's dress. It had been one of the fruits he had used to create his none existing breasts.

Luzige quickly hid the now empty side of his cleavage and waved with his fan with a grin. From around the corner, Mana gasped a little but was not noticed by anyone.

She was however noticed by Anubis' hawk who was sitting on one of the beams. But when he tried to make sound to warn them, he was roasted by a fire, turning him into a pink skinned bird. He looked almost like a chicken.

Mushu was laying on a beam above him with Cri-kee beside him and grinned. "Now that's what I call a real barbeque." He blew a circle of smoke at the hawk, making Cri-kee laugh.

There whole scene had gone unnoticed by the others and one of Anubis' men picked up Luzige's apple and wanted to give it back to him, making the three men grin and remove the fruits in their cleavages.

Chike pushed the two watermelons on the head of two of the men and smashed the heads then together.

Yafeu dodged a view punches his opponent threw at him before grabbing his arm and throwing him on the ground, making him lose conscious.

Luzige pushed his remaining apple into the mouth of his opponent before giving him a hard kick in his belly and making him lose conscious by giving him a punch with his head.

Amarra took care of the archer, kicking his readied bow out of his hands before giving him a hard kick right against the side of his head, also sending him unconscious to the ground.

Mana also made a great appearance by taking care of the last of his men, smashing a rather large vase right on top of his head.

"Go!" said Chike while they held down Anubis' men.

He didn't need to say that again as Amarra threw the doors open and ran unto the balcony. There she found Atemu on the ground, groaning and with his hands pressed against his stomach and torso, and Anubis towering above him with a sword in his hand and with his back towards her.

Sacmis was standing on Atemu's other side, looking and grinning evil as ever. She had clearly enjoyed what she had seen Anubis do to him.

Amarra whistled, making their attention shift towards her but before they could react, she had run towards them and with a handspring, she pushed both her feet in his face, sending him back and right crashing into Sacmis and against the stone railing.

"Atemu." She quickly made her way towards him and pulled his arm around her shoulders. "Come on, we've got to go."

"You're getting the strange habit to end up saving me," he muttered while getting on his feet, pressing a hand against his sore ribs. His eyes met her. "I'm sorry. I should have believed you."

"You can apologize later," said Amarra, seeing that Anubis and Sacmis were slowly getting back on their feet. "Can you run?"

"What choice do I have?"

"None. Run!" They ran off the balcony, meeting the other four in the throne room again. "Close the doors! Quickly!" Chike did so immediately.

"Mana?" asked Atemu surprised, upon seeing the brown haired girl. "What are you doing here?"

"Helping," answered Mana with a big smile. "Amarra had this great idea. Why didn't you want to listen to her when she warned you about Anubis? You've such a big ego. I mean, who cares that she dressed up as a man and joined the army?"

"We need to get out of here," interrupted Amarra. "You two know the way here. Where too?"

"The guest rooms have a joined balcony. A line of lights that leads straight towards the plaza is tightened to it," said Atemu and he pointed towards the direction.

A loud crash from behind them startled them all six of them a little. "Time to go."

They immediately started running, Atemu giving the direction to where they should be going. When they finally reached it, Yafeu immediately put his band around the line and slid down towards the plaza. The people down there cheered for him and cheered again when Mana and Luzige did the same.

"Chike, take the Pharaoh with you."

"What?" asked Atemu shocked.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty," said Chike, bowing slightly before grabbing hold of him and making his way towards the line, also placing his band over the line.

"Amarra…" Atemu started with a worried expression.

"Don't worry. I'll be right behind you. Go on." Another loud crash made her look around. "Now!"

Just as Chike slid down the line with the Pharaoh under his arm, Anubis ran unto the balcony. "NO!" He was making his way towards her and the line to go after them and with a determined look on her face, she pulled out a dagger and cut the line through, making it fall down and making the crowd cheer again.

But it also left her all alone with Anubis. And, so she saw when she turned around towards them again, with Sacmis.


	14. The Final Fight

**Hey, hey!**

**Here is the chapter you've all been waiting so anxiously for. **

**The title already says it: it's the finaly fight between Amarra, Sacmis and Anubis.**

**Now I've a question for you guys: what do you really want to know after this chapter is finished? What would you really like to read about?**

**I know a good writer shouldn't ask that of his/her readers but I'm clueless about how I should go on after the chapter that follows this one and some ideas would be great.**

**So just tell what you guys really like to know or what you really want me to write because honestly, I'm not getting any furhter. And I don't like making readers wait so long for the end of a story and that is what will happen if I don't get rid of this writer's block soon.**

**On with other things then. Thank you for all the reviews. **

**Dakota Ishtar, I'm really sorry for leaving it with a cliffhanger... No, actually I am not. What is a good story without some cliffhanger every now and then, huh? I hope you will think this chapter will be worth the waiting.**

**Airheadninja, you were right. English isn't my native language. Dutch is. But to be honest, my grades in English are a lot better then my grades in Dutch. Probably says something, huh?**

**AnaleighJames, I'm happy that you had a good birthday. And thanks for understanding the long update time.**

**And with that over... I won't keep you guys waiting any longer. **

**Enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think. I hope I will update next Wednesday, can't say for sure. Still clueless and bothered by a writer's block. I hate writer's blocks. **

**Please, review.**

**XxX Emmetje**

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><p>A Girl in the Egyptian Army<p>

Chapter 13

The Final Fight

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><p>"Well," said Sacmis, leaning carelessly against the door frame. "You were the last person I expected to see here."<p>

"Hello to you too, Sacmis," said Amarra drily.

"What? You heard about the deaths of the people and realised that I was helping Anubis and decided to come here in a try to keep His Majesty out of harm's way?" narked Sacmis. "To save his royal ass?"

"Something like that."

"You," breathed Anubis out, holding his sword tightly in his hand and coming closer to her. "You took away my victory! My revenge!"

"Again," answered Amarra, removing her eyes from Sacmis and standing brave and strong on her place.

Anubis' face became confused. "Again?"

"Again?" questioned Sacmis, also confused.

Amarra pulled her hair up and into a knot and showed them how her face looked when it was pulled up like that.

Anubis' eyes narrowed and the look in them became angrier then ever before. "The soldier from the pass."

"What?" brought Sacmis out, now really surprised. "You're telling me that it was her –" She pointed to Amarra. "– who got us buried under the sand? Who created the avalanche?"

"That was me," answered Amarra. She gave a yelp when Anubis attacked her and dodged his sword and under his arm before running away over the balcony, entering through one of the doors into one of the guest rooms and running out of the guest room again, into the hallway.

She closed every door behind her but it was no use. She had angered Anubis and he was now after her and pushed through every single door that came in his way.

"What's the plan?" asked Mushu, who came up to her while she was running. He was riding on a weird kind of chicken together with Cri-kee.

"Uh…"

"You don't have one?"

"Hey, I'm making this up while I go, alright?"

They ran around another corner, hearing Anubis angry growls and yells behind them. "Then make something up!" yelled Mushu.

When they passed a window, Amarra stopped and glanced at one of the watch towers of the Palace walls. It had been changed into a firework station for the day.

"Mushu!" She pointed to the tower.

"Way ahead of you, sister," said Mushu. "I know what to do. But now, how do we come there?"

"Phoenix!" called Amarra. A loud shriek was heard and the bird dove out of the sky and appeared in front of them. "Bring Mushu and Cri-kee towards that tower! Now!"

The bird shrieked again and the small dragon and the cricket jumped on its back and the bird flew off.

Anubis came running around the corner, making Amarra yelp and run off again. He followed her and was now on her tail.

"You can't escape me!" yelled Anubis angry. He was almost breathing in her neck.

Amarra ran around another corner and dove behind one of the wooden pillars when he took a swing at her. But the sword went right through the wood and Amarra stumbled on again.

She stopped dead in her tracks when a shadow fooled itself together and made Sacmis appear right in front of her. "Going somewhere, darling?"

Seeing no other option as there was an enemy in front of her and behind her, she climbed up the pillar that was closest to her.

But Anubis had none of that and just destroyed the pillar, sending it towards the ground. Amarra managed to jump off it just before it hit the ground and made a somersault, making her end right in front of Sacmis' feet.

Not thinking about it for a second, she pushed her leg against Sacmis' legs and made them fall from under her and making her fall on the ground. After that she just jumped back on her feet and made another run for it.

The angry yells this time of not only Anubis but also Sacmis filled the air. "I will kill her and tear her into a thousand pieces!"

"Not good, not good, not good, not good," breathed Amarra out while running around another corner. She stopped when she saw that the hallway was now divided into three different hallways. "Damn it, why does this place have to be so big?"

She took the one who was the farthest to the right and came across a stairs but she just kept going on.

Finally reaching the top she ran through the closest door to find it completely locked up, except a very small window at the end. It looked like it was a storage room.

She ran towards the window and looked through it. She was on the highest store of the Palace and a fall from that high would lead to certain death and even if she jumped on the balcony under it, she would not make it without getting seriously injured.

Amarra swallowed and glanced towards the watch tower. Mushu had reached it and Phoenix was circling around it, keeping a close eye out.

The door was thrown open and Amarra turned around gasping while pressing her back against the window. A furious Anubis walked into the doorway, his sword ready in his hand. "Looks like you're trapped like a little mouse. There is no way you can go now."

Amarra looked outside again and saw a gargoyle hanging close by. Giving Anubis one last look, she climbed on the window frame and jumped.

The angry yell of Anubis reverberated from behind her and the gasps of the crowd from under her.

She just made the jump and was now hanging on the gargoyle, holding it as tight as she could but her fingers were slipping slowly away.

"Amarra!"

She glanced down and saw not only the worried expressions of Yafeu, Luzige and Chike but also the terrified look Mana had on her face with her hands pressed against her mouth and with tears in her eyes.

But they hadn't been the ones who had been calling out her name. That person had been Atemu who was standing by his priests and who was arguing with them.

A piece stone grumbled away, making one of Amarra's hand slip. She gave a startled yell while trying to quickly find a new piece she could hold herself on.

A small push up from under her slippers made her look down again and her face got delighted for a moment. "Phoenix!"

The bird had rushed towards her aid and was giving her a little help to get up. With the help of her bird she climbed unto the gargoyle and after that she jumped unto the roof.

Phoenix landed on her shoulder and pushed its head against her cheek. "Good girl," whispered Amarra while stroking her back. "Now go help Mushu again."

The bird flew up again and flied towards where Mushu and Cri-kee were, leaving Amarra all alone on the roof.

The young woman looked around, trying to spot one of her pursuers but she saw no one. Anubis was not looking out the window and Sacmis was nowhere in sight either.

Had they given up? The answer came almost immediately and was defiantly a no.

Anubis broke through the roof before her and Amarra gave a scream while stumbling back. But her bad luck didn't end there as Sacmis appeared behind her, making her turn around to face her.

From under them everyone gasped and a view pointed up while shaking their heads. They had given up that she would make it.

"Well, I can't say that this wasn't fun," said the black haired woman with a grin. "I always love a good chase."

Amarra shot a quick glance up when she saw something red come over. Phoenix was coming back, this time with Mushu and Cri-kee again on its back again.

"Seems like you're out of tricks," said Anubis.

Amarra looked at him again. "You would think that, wouldn't you? But after fighting off Sacmis for years, I think I have become quite good in improvising."

"Fighting off…?" Anubis burst out in laughter. "This is her? This is the woman you want me to kill, Sacmis? Oh boy, now I understand why you never succeeded into killing her! HA!"

"Glad you now finally understand," grinned Sacmis, taking a step closer to Amarra. "I do have some things that are still unclear to me. If you were in the desert pass and if you were the 'soldier' that created the avalanche, then that would mean you were in the Pharaoh's army."

"I am... Err, I mean, I was."

"Women aren't allowed to be in the army, darling."

"Not if you disguise yourself as a man."

Sacmis gave her a look like she had gone crazy. "Honey, did you want to spare me the trouble of killing you and let them –" She pointed towards the crowd. "– kill you as punishment for breaking the law?"

"You know me, Sacmis. I never want to make things easy for you. That's a no, just to let you know."

"I got that it was a no, you ignorant little girl," snapped Sacmis. "But why? Why would you risk your life? Just because you heard a rumour about me working together with Anubis?"

"Don't think that everything I do is just with you in mind," bitched Amarra back. "That's again a no. And I didn't even know you worked together with Anubis until yesterday when we visited a village that you two had massacred out and destroyed."

"Then why?" demanded Anubis to know.

Amarra glanced at him. "Because of something you two will never understand as you two don't have a heart."

Sacmis laughed evilly, making Amarra turn her attention back to her. "A lot of brave words in your last moments."

"Who says these will be my last moments?"

"Behind!" yelled nearly the whole crowd at the same time.

Amarra turned around again and saw that Anubis was taking another swing at her. Grabbing the first thing she could find and defend herself with, she took out her fan and caught the sword into. She closed the fan and turned it around, making Anubis lose his sword to her.

She pointed it to him. "Like I said, over the years I learned to improvise."

Anubis and Sacmis both laughed. "You're still out numbered, girl. And there's no way you go. Every turn you take will only lead to your death."

"My death?" asked Amarra, trying to come up with something to get things in her favour again and to buy some time.

"That is what this whole deal is about," said Anubis.

"Oh, I know all about that deal of yours. She helps you kill the Pharaoh and get rule over Egypt and in exchange you kill me for her."

"Exactly," grinned Anubis while taking a step towards her.

"Well, I think she left out a tiny little detail."

Sacmis stiffened and Anubis looked confused. "What detail?"

"I can't die. She has tried. Believe me, she has tried very hard. She tried to burn me alive, drown me, stab me, drain me from all my life energy, making me bleed to death. Everything you can possibly think of. And yet, I'm still here. You know why? Because I can't die."

"What?" Anubis looked now furious at Sacmis. "You lied to me?"

Sacmis gave him a bored look. "What can I say? I'm a very ambitious woman. Did you really think I would pass on an opportunity to get the rule over Egypt?"

"Then where did you need me for?" yelled Anubis.

"Well, I'm not really a people person so you certainly don't see me gather an army. And of course, you would do all the dirty work. And you were so blinded by your creed and your lust for revenge that you failed to notice how ambitious I actually am. And making you agree with me and making you promise to try and kill dear Amarra here… Well, that was just my way of taking the trash out. Besides, I don't really want her dead. Our little fights are too much fun."

"You snake!"

"Oh, please. Insults don't hurt."

Amarra took her chance and went through her knees, pushing Anubis' legs from under him. The God of the Death fell on the roof and Amarra made a somersault over him before rising to her feet again and pointing the sword at him and Sacmis again.

"Ready, Mushu?" she called out.

"Oh, I'm ready, baby!" Upon hearing that call, Sacmis and Anubis both looked around and saw that Mushu had a large rocket on his back and that it was pointed to them. "Light me, birdie!"

Amarra took again the opportunity of them being distracted and pushed herself up by using the sword and pushed Anubis right into Sacmis, sending them both to the ground. After that she grabbed the sword and grabbed two pieces of their clothing and stuck it to the roof with the sword.

Phoenix spit a small streak of fire on the wick, causing it to burn and sending Mushu and the rocket right towards Anubis and Sacmis.

The two tried to escape but found out that they were stuck on the roof and they both screamed when the arrow came closer. It hit them, pulling them with it towards the watch tower with all the other fireworks and Amarra dodged, making it miss her by just an inch. Mushu had grabbed the sword and managed to get of the rocket just after it had hit the two enemies.

"Get of the roof!" yelled Amarra, grabbing Mushu when she passed him. "Get of the roof, get of the roof, get of the roof!" She jumped over the whole in the roof and ran towards the end. Amarra jumped off the roof just on the moment that the rocket hit the tower, making all the other fireworks go off too. "Phoenix!"

Phoenix flew up and grabbed her wrists and guided her towards one of the lines with the lights on them, letting her go when she was on a save height. Amarra grabbed one of the lights and sailed down the line while the fireworks exploded behind her.

When she was having above the stairs that led towards the Palace, she let go and ended up landing on Atemu, who had just succeeded into getting past his priests and who had been planning on rushing back inside to help her.

They rolled down the stairs and finally stopped rolling when they had reached the bottom with Amarra on top of him.

On seeing each other, save and well, they both started to laugh while all the people around them cheered.

"Nice catch, Pharaoh."

"Thanks. Nice fall. You almost hit it."

They laughed again but then Amarra realised in what kind of position they were in and she quickly crawled of him. "Sorry. I didn't mean to land on you."

He shook his head. "Will you stop apologizing already?"

Amarra laughed nervously. "Sorry." When she realised what she had said, she placed a hand against her mouth, making Atemu laugh again.

Atemu got on his feet and helped Amarra up too. She dusted herself off and then noticed that he was staring at her. "What?"

"Nothing. It's just… I've got to get used to seeing you in a dress. Looks good on you."

Amarra laughed nervously and pushed a streak of hair out of her face, her cheeks reddening slightly. "Thanks."

"Amarra!"

Yafeu, Luzige, Chike and Mana were running towards them and when they reached them she was pulled into a bear hug.

"You did it! You did it, girl!" cheered Luzige.

"You're the man!" laughed Yafeu. "Well, the woman."

"You've proved to still be the bravest of us all, even though you're a woman," said Chike.

Mana hugged her so tight that she could hardly breathe for a moment. "And I will never find a girl again who can kick that much ass."

"Thanks, guys. Really, thanks."

And then their moment was over. "WHERE IS SHE?" Hakizimana walked down the stairs, his clothes half burned. "That was deliberate an attempt on my life! Where is she?" Yafeu, Chike and Luzige tried to hide her behind them. "Now she has done it! Look what a mess!" More priests and councillors walked down the stairs, some looked more burned then the others and there faces made Amarra shrink a little. "Step aside!" ordered Hakizimana the three men. "That creature is not worth protecting!"

"She is a hero!" protested Mana, taking a step towards the councillor.

"She is a woman! She will never be worth anything!"

Atemu also took a step towards him. "Now you listen…"

But further he couldn't get because two women and a man hurried towards him and started talking to him in rapidly while guiding him away from everyone. He tried to protest but that was also quickly dismissed when his priests said something to him.

After that he just sighed and let the three guide him away and examine him, to see how wounded he was.

The six priests and one other smaller man stopped in front Yafeu, Luzige, Chike and Mana. "Shimon," started Mana, her attention on the smaller man. "If you would just…"

But the man raised his hand and gestured that they should step aside. And so the four did, revealing Amarra. The young woman swallowed and took a step towards them, bowing slightly for them.

From behind them, Hakizimana grinned. It made him look like he was so sure that she would get punished and slightly evil.

"We've heard a great deal about you, Amarra Retenu," said the oldest priest. He had a golden eye. "You stole your father's armour and his scroll, you ran away from home, impersonated a soldier, deceived and lied to your King, dishonoured the Egyptian Army, destroyed the Palace." He gestured towards the burning watch tower and he probably knew about the damage inside too. "And…"

"She saved my life," interrupted Atemu, pulling himself out of the grasp of the two women and the man and making his way towards them. "At least two times."

"Sire," said the man with the golden eye. "Rules are rules. Look at everything she had done. All the damage! And all the lies! She risked not only her own life but those of others too. Innocent lives."

Amarra took a view steps back and made sure she put some distance between her and the priests. The priests, the councillors and the Pharaoh did not notice as they were in a heated discussion. "_It's enough_," she thought while waving towards Kahi, making the horse trot towards her. She turned to her new friends. "I think it's time for me to go."

"But Amarra," protested Mana. "You have saved the Pharaoh. You defeated Anubis. You're a hero."

"They don't think about it like that." Amarra made a head nod towards the priests and the councillors. "And I don't want to cause them anymore trouble. Especially not Atemu. Not after everything he has already done for me." She smiled a little at them. "Beside, I think I've been gone from home long enough, don't you guys agree?"

"Group hug," said Luzige. The two men embraced her just like Mana and they were all pulled up in the air by Chike when he embraced them too.

"I'm going to miss you, guys. Promise to visit me sometime."

"We'll," promised Chike when he put them back on the ground again and when they let go of each other.

Amarra turned to Mana. "It was nice meeting you, Mana. And thanks for all your help."

Mana hugged her again. "Don't think I won't visit you either. You're the best girlfriend I've ever had and that's saying something because I don't know you for that long."

Amarra laughed a little but hugged her back. "I hope Atemu knows how lucky he is to have you as his friend."

"I don't think he realises how lucky he is to have someone like you care so much for him."

They let go of each other again and Amarra glanced behind, seeing that the discussion was still going on. She turned towards her friends again. "Bye," she said softly.

"Bye," said the four, Yafeu even sniffed a little.

Amarra ran towards Kahi and jumped on her back, seeing that Cri-kee and Mushu were already waiting there for her. "Haya!" Kahi neighed and galloped away. Amarra looked uncomfortable at the people that made way for her and who all bowed for her when she passed them. It gave her a weird feeling.

What she failed to notice was that when she galloped away, that it had caught Atemu's attention. He immediately pushed past his priests towards the way she had gone too.

"Amarra!" he called after her but she didn't hear him and soon disappeared out of his sight. He turned to the three men and Mana. "Where is she going?"

"Home," answered Mana with a saddened look on her face. "She said she didn't want to cause you anymore trouble and that she had been gone from home long enough."

Atemu stared towards the way she had gone to and sighed, glancing saddened down towards the ground.

This caught Isis' attention and the priestess smiled pleased and with a knowing look in her eyes.


	15. Home Sweet Home

**Hey guys!**

**Thank you for all the reviews. I've got a little idea how to continue the two chapters that will follow this one. **

**I haven't finished them yet so I can't tell you guys when I will update again. Sorry. I hope it will be soon.**

**For all who asked if there is going to be a sequel... Yes, there is going to be a sequel. It will be a whole new level of dramatic. I think. Not sure yet what is going to happen in it and all of that.**

**Anyway...**

**The long awaited return has arrived. Amarra is going home and is going to have to face her parents.**

**I hope you guys will like the chapter and be sure to let me know what you think about it (please review).**

**I won't keep you guys up any longer. Enjoy the chapter.**

**XxX Emmetje**

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><p>A Girl in the Egyptian Army<p>

Chapter 14

Home Sweet Home

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><p>Amarra was riding through the streets of the city, trying to avoid getting eye contact with anyone who was there. That wasn't very easy as everyone was staring at her and after she had passed them, they started to whisper things behind her back.<p>

Home. She was almost home. How she longed to crawl into her bed and sleep for the rest of the day and through the whole night.

But she wouldn't be able to do that. She first had to face her parents and she had to tell them what had happened. If they didn't know already.

People had proofed yet again how fast gossip can travel and the staring and the whispers of the people in the town weren't because she had left home or because she had humiliated the matchmaker so many weeks ago.

Had it already five months ago? It felt so much shorter.

No, they were staring at her and whispering things behind her back because word had reached them about a young redheaded woman who had joined the army, posing as a man, and who had saved the Pharaoh's life, saved Egypt and had defeated Anubis and his new right hand man (rather said woman) single handed.

"Whoa, girl. Even without a medal you've become the hero of the nation," said Mushu, who was lying over her shoulders, acting like a weird kind of scarf.

"I don't like all this staring. I never have liked it," said Amarra uncomfortable. "It makes me feel like I'm walking around without any clothes on.

"Men would be drooling all over you if you really had been naked."

"Mushu!"

"Sorry," laughed Mushu. "I couldn't resist."

No being able to take all the stares, she pushed Kahi forward and into gallop, making sure she would leave the town quickly behind her.

With her hair moving freely and the wind blowing into her face, her uncomfortable face quickly changed into a small smile. For a second she wasn't thinking about anything and just enjoyed the ride and the wind against her face and in her hair.

"Why, you're suddenly anxious to get home."

"No, Mushu. I'm anxious to just feel nothing except the wind on my face and in my hair, even if it is just for a moment. To just forget about everything…" Her words drifted off and she closed her eyes for a second.

"Amarra. Earth to, Amarra." Mushu knocked on her forehead "We're still in town and if you don't look out you will ride over someone. So open your eyes or you will hurt someone or get hurt yourself."

Amarra opened her eyes again, making everything come back to her again. "You're right. Sorry, Mushu."

"I think His Majesty was right about you apologizing too much." Amarra's eyes saddened when he mentioned Atemu and that didn't go unnoticed. "I'm sorry, girl. I shouldn't have started about him."

"I just hope he's alright. Anubis got quite badly to him."

"He will be fine," said Mushu, trying to ease her worry. "I'm sure he will be just fine."

They finally galloped out of the town and through the fields towards the Retenu house. It had already been five months ago since she had last taken this path and she just like now, she had been afraid of her father's reaction.

But things were also different now. She was different. Very different.

She bit her lip when, after riding for another while, she saw her house appear in the distance and she held Kahi in.

Mushu placed a hand on her shoulder. "I will be with you every step of the way."

"I know. But I'm still nervous. What if they send me away? What if they never want to see me again?"

"They were devastated when you left," said Mushu. "Your mother kept crying and she and your father were seated on the ground until the sun arrived, just hoping you would come back. In the pouring rain, nonetheless! They will be delighted to see you."

Amarra swallowed. "Let's hope so."

When they finally reached the gates, she jumped off Kahi, opened the gates very slowly and guided Kahi through them.

Her heart was in her throat and her hands just couldn't stop shaking. She was terrified. She rather wanted to fight Anubis and Sacmis again then have to face her family.

She quickly made her way into the stables, coming almost directly face to face with Chigaru, their stable boy.

"Lady Amarra…" he breathed out in shock.

She swallowed. "Hey, Chigaru."

And then he did something very unexpected. He hugged her. "Oh, heaven bless the Gods! You're back and you're safe! And alive! I can't believe you're alive!"

"I'm fine, Chigaru," said Amarra, feeling quite uncomfortable. "Uh, do you know where my father is?"

Chigaru let her go. "He's sitting under the blossom tree. He has been doing that ever since you left. Oh, Milady, we've missed you so much and we were so worried."

Amarra gave him a small smile. "Can you take care of Kahi for me?"

"Of course!" He immediately took the reins from her. "And I will make sure all your stuff is brought inside to your room! Oh! Everyone will be so happy! A feast, I'm sure!

He kept babbling around while walking off with Kahi. Amarra took a deep breathe and walked out the stables towards the meadow. She jumped over the meadow fence and walked towards the gardens, just like she had done so many weeks ago.

She made her way along the small stream, passing the place where once had been the statue of the dragon.

Mushu laughed nervously when he saw that place and also when they both glanced towards the temple. "I guess I will have to face them too."

"I couldn't have done this without you, Mushu," whispered Amarra, placing a hand on top of his head. "And I will let them know that no matter what happens."

Mushu gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you."

The blossom tree appeared in her view and she stopped immediate dead in her tracks. She had suddenly lost her courage and she was suddenly bothered by a lump in her throat. She was about to burst out in tears.

Her father was sitting on the stone bench under the blossom tree with his walking stick beside him on the ground. His face stood sad and even a little grieving.

The tree was already losing its flowers but there was one that was still in bloom. The one he had compared her with after she had messed it up by the matchmaker.

That same flower fell from its branch and whirled down, falling unto her father's lap. Zahur took the flower in his hand and glanced at. A single tear slipped over his cheek and after that he held the flower close with closed eyes.

Amarra took a deep breathe and slowly walked towards him, as soft as she could and as unnoticed as possible.

But when she stopped in front of him, he did notice and opened his eyes. They widened when he saw her and he rose up a little. "Amarra…"

Amarra fell on her knees in front of him and bowed, making her nose almost touch the ground. She couldn't stand to face him, not while the tears were so high.

"What are you doing, girl?" whispered Mushu who had slipped of her shoulders. "Get back on your feet and just hug him."

Amarra shook her head slightly. "Father, I'm so sorry."

"Amarra…"

"I know what I did was unforgivable and that is was against everything but I couldn't let you die. And She took a deep breathe and slowly sat up a little, looking into his eyes while tears rolled over her cheeks. I just wanted to prove that I could do something honourable for a change. That I was worthy for this family and that I could really bring honour to it." She looked down, fooling her hands together in her lap. "But I guess I was wrong."

Zahur slid of the bench and fell on his knees in front of her, embracing her as tight as he could. "The greatest gift in honour is having the honour to call you my daughter." Her tears started to slip faster down over her cheeks. He let her go for a moment and rubbed the tears of her cheeks. "Oh, I've missed you so."

Amarra threw her arms around his neck and hugged him as tightly as she could. "I've missed you too, papa. And I'm so sorry."

"No, by doing so you've not only saved my life but you've also showed us all what is most important to us."

"Oh," sobbed Mushu from a distance. "I just can't take these family reunions. They are so emotional." He glanced down at Cri-kee, who was beside him. "Do you have a tissue?" Cri-kee shook his head and Mushu blew his nose in his own hands, making the cricket pull his nose up. "Our girl has done good, hasn't she?" Cri-kee nodded. "Oh, can this get even more emotional?"

He got his answer and it was a yes when two pairs of running feet neared them. Layla and Tefnut came running towards them.

"Amarra!" called Layla out, blinded by her tears when she saw her daughter.

Amarra and Zahur both looked up and Amarra immediately started to cry even more tears. "Mama! Grandma!"

She stumbled on her feet and ran half towards them. She met them halfway and was hugged again, this time by her mother who nearly hugged the air out of her lungs.

"Oh, my baby. You're back. Safe. Oh," cried Layla while stroking her daughter's hair lovingly.

Tefnut and Zahur joined them in the embrace to and the four of them fell to their knees, crying in happiness and embracing each other tightly.

And Femi, Monifa, Ati, Kafele, Chigaru and Sinuhe (the family gardener) looked at them from a distance, all smiling relieved and happily. The maids were even crying, so happy were they that Amarra had returned safely to them.

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><p>Two weeks passed and everything went back to normal. People stopped asking questions about Amarra and her return after a few days and even though they now had a new found respect for her, they did act very different around and to her.<p>

In the Retenu house everything went back to normal too, although Layla did embrace her daughter whenever she got the chance.

Femi, Monifa and Ati started to complain again about how unladylike Amarra was and how she was a desperate case and she would probably never get married, but the youngest of the Retenu family was fine with that.

Zahur accepted his daughter's differences finally and stopped pressing her on the fact that she should act normally and make sure no dishonour would come to the family. He had finally realised that that had been what had made him almost lose his daughter.

Layla had also stopped trying to change the person who Amarra was inside, even though she did sometimes force her to come with her towards the town and help out younger women to get dressed up to meet the matchmaker, something Amarra still strongly disliked but did without complaining, being just happy to spend some time with her mother again.

Tefnut hadn't changed a bit as she also had never tried to change Amarra and she had always been the one who had given her the most freedom.

Mushu, who first had been so afraid to face the ancestors, was also happy. The rumours about Amarra saving Egypt had in fact even reached them and they had given him back his place as guardian.

But even though he was supposed to sit on a wooden plank and be turned to stone, he wasn't and was happily running around the gardens and helped Amarra whenever she did her chores or walked up to her and gave her company whenever she was alone in the garden.

And Cri-kee was also happy. Taking over Mushu's previous job, he was now the one who rang the gong (Amarra had seen him once doing it and it had made her double over from laughter). But just like Mushu he wasn't needed that much and spend more times in the gardens and with Amarra then in the temple.

So everything was back to normal, although a view things had changed. The one thing that had changed the biggest would be Amarra herself. And it worried Zahur, Layla and Tefnut a lot, seeing her so different.

She was spending most of her time in the gardens, either sitting under the blossom tree or sitting on the railing of the small bridge. While there she was always staring into nowhere with a sad look in her eyes.

She refused to tell her family what it was that had caused her to be so sad and that was only more reason for them to be worried, especially Layla was worried.

And after those two long weeks, it was another normal day. Amarra had woken up late after which she had eaten breakfast with her parents and her grandmother, after that she had done her chores and during that, had laughed a little with Mushu and Cri-kee and practised some of the moves she had learned while being in the army. When she had done that, she had galloped through the fields on Kahi and now she was sitting on the stone bench under the blossom tree, staring with a sad look in her eyes ahead.

Layla and Tefnut were watching her from a distance, without her knowing it, and looked extremely bothered.

"My poor baby," sighed Layla. "She has been so sad lately."

Zahur, who had passed them and saw they were once again spying on Amarra, walked towards them and placed a hand on his wife's shoulder. "Do not forget that she has been in a war. Who knows what horrors she has seen."

"We heard about all those destroyed villages and all the people who were killed, remember, Layla?" said Tefnut. "No doubt that she visited one or two of them."

"I just want to see her happy again. Smile like she did before she went to war," signed Layla. "Carefree and without worries. Now she just looks heartbroken. What good has this war brought her?"

"Well, everyone sees her as a hero," said Zahur. "The great hero who defeated Anubis and saved Egypt from his evil plans for once and for all."

"But that doesn't make her happy," protested Layla. "She hates it whenever people talk about it or want to ask her questions about it. She just wants to forget the whole thing."

"You know what I think," said Tefnut.

"And what might that be, mother?" asked Zahur with a sigh, realising that his mother was going to say something that would not make sense at all.

"The girl has spent at least three whole months in a camp with only men. I find it rather strange that none of them caught her eye. She should have brought home a man instead of some title, if you ask me."

"A man?" asked Layla, frowning, then her eyes widened. "But that's it! It's a man!"

"Huh?" Zahur and Tefnut looked confused at her.

"She was in love but was rejected by a man. She is heartbroken."

"Darling, you're a hopeless romanticist," said Zahur with a small laugh. "You really think a man could make our strong daughter looking so lost? No, I think that all those people she has seen dead are bothering her."

"And I think she should have brought home a man," said Tefnut, making Layla and Zahur roll their eyes.

Suddenly someone coughed, making the three look around. Then their mouths dropped open and their eyes widened because there was a very handsome young man standing behind them. "Is Amarra home?" The three pointed towards where Amarra was sitting. "Thank you."

He walked past them and they stared after him before Tefnut grinned and let out a whistle. "Wow! Sign me up for the next war!"

Amarra had meanwhile no idea that someone was coming closer to her and just stared down at her hands. Mushu and Cri-kee were seated beside her and Mushu placed one of his claws on her hand. "Come on, girl. Cheer up a little. Don't let him get so badly to you."

"I know I shouldn't, Mushu." She sighed again. "But I can't help it."

Mushu understood and patted her hand. "I know. I just want to see you smile so bright and cheerful ag…"

"Amarra?"

Amarra looked up when someone interrupted Mushu by asking her name and her eyes widened when she saw who it was. "Atemu." She quickly got on her feet. "What are you doing here?"

"You left so fast that I never got the chance to thank you."

Amarra laughed a little nervously while pushing a streak of hair out of her face. "You don't need to thank me. I mean, after all the trouble I caused and…"

"You still saved my life," pointed Atemu out.

"And I destroyed half of your Palace," went Amarra against him.

"Nothing that can't be repaired." They both fell silent and Amarra looked down, feeling very uncomfortable. "I also owed you an answer."

She looked up surprised. "You do?"

"Back when I left you in the desert, which I'm truly sorry for Amarra smiled a little, sensing that she wasn't the only one who was feeling uncomfortable and a little nervous. you asked me what I would have done if I had been in your place. Well, I should have said it immediately back then but I would have done the exact same thing."

Amarra's smile widened and became brighter. "Really?" He nodded and she glanced over his shoulder for a second before looking at him again, this time frowning. "How does Hakizimana think about the fact that you're visiting me, that ignorant woman that insulted him and should be punished by death?"

"I wouldn't know and couldn't care less. I fired him."

Amarra's eyes widened in unbelief and surprise. "You what?"

"I fired him. I never really liked him and there was just something about him that just wasn't right. So I fired him."

"Wow," said Amarra, smiling again. "That's a surprise." Then she gave him a suspicious look. "Are you here alone?"

"Yes…"

She gave him an even more suspicious look. "Do your councillors and priests know that you're here?"

"Are you crazy? I wasn't supposed to go anywhere in another two weeks. Recovering and all of that."

"Does anyone know you're here?" she asked just to be sure.

"Well, Mana does. I told her and had to force her to stay in the Palace. She wanted to come, badly. And maybe Isis has a hunch. She was the one who actually told me I should visit you, in a cryptic kind of way."

"So you did something that will probably get disapproved by all your councillors and priests?"

"What can I say?" said Atemu with a shrug but with a playful and slight cocky smile on his face. "I once got the advice of a young and odd but very beautiful woman to make the choices I think are right instead of making the choices my councillors say that is right."

Amarra's whole face lit up and she smiled brightly. "You really listened to me back then? I thought…"

"I would be a fool to not listen to you," interrupted Atemu. He took a step closer to her and embraced one side of her face with his hand. "You're the oddest woman I've ever met, Amarra Retenu, but only a brainless, blind or a complete idiot, would not see how beautiful, smart and brave you're."

Amarra surprised him and herself by closing the space and putting her arms around his neck and embracing him. When she realised what she was doing she quickly let him go again. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. Am I even aloud to do…

He cut her off by pulling her back into the embrace. "For once, Amarra. Stop apologizing to me. There is nothing to apologize for."

Amarra smiled happily while closing her eyes and embracing him back. "You just make me nervous and when I'm nervous I start to apologize."

"Well, we should work on that then, shouldn't we?" grinned Atemu while they let each other go. "Making sure you aren't nervous around me anymore."

"And how were you planning on doing that?" asked Amarra daringly.

"How about spending more time together? Maybe get to know each other a little better?"

Amarra was surprised when he said that but smiled nonetheless. "Would you like to stay for diner?"

"Would you like to stay forever?" called Tefnut from a distance, making Amarra's cheeks flush red and hiding her face into her hands.

Atemu laughed and took hold of her wrists, pulling her hands down. "They both sound good but for now, diner would be great."


	16. Secrets of the Past

**Hey, hey there guys!**

**I've just finished this chapter and I'm really proud of it. But I also found it really difficult to write.**

**I wanted to give Amarra and Atemu some time together so they could talk and to have some romance. I just didn't want to make it too fluffy. And in my opinion, I succeeded in just that.****  
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**So in this chapter there will be a bit of fluffyness and romance and you guys will also learn a little bit more about Amarra's history with Sacmis.**

**I'm sorry it took so long but for a week or so I had this major writer's block. **

**There will follow another chapter and an epilogue. After that, of course, a sequel. **

**Let me know what you guys will think. Please review.**

**XxX Emmetje**

* * *

><p>A Girl in the Egyptian Army<p>

Chapter 15

Secrets of the Past

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><p>Amarra was lying in her bed and sleeping. She looked completely at peace and was in her dreams somewhere nice because she was smiling.<p>

The curtains were closed tightly and she had made sure that no sunlight could peek through them or from under them.

The door of her bedroom went slowly open and someone walked inside. That same person smiled when he saw her sleeping form and her messy hair.

The person closed the door behind him and walked towards the bed and softly touched Amarra's shoulder.

She groaned a little and turned around, now lying with her back towards the person, who chuckled because of it.

He touched her shoulder again and this time shook it a little. "Amarra." She shrugged her shoulder, trying to escape from his moving hand. He chuckled again.

The door went open again but this time the person who came inside wasn't calm and easy. This person bounced towards the bed and jumped on top of Amarra, yelling cheerfully: "Arra! Wake up!"

Amarra woke up as soon as she felt someone jump on top of her and groaned annoyed before turning around. Confusion spread over her face. "Mana? What are you doing here?"

"She forced me to take her with me," said the other person.

Amarra's cheeks turned a slight shade of red when she saw that that person was Atemu and pulled her blanket slightly higher.

"You're a hard one to wake up, you know that?" smiled Atemu. The sparkle in his eyes told her clearly that he had noticed her blush.

"Yeah, I know. I've been told before," said Amarra, still blushing slightly. She went with her hand through her hair. "When did you two arrive?"

"Just a view minutes ago. Your grandmother dared Atemu to try and get you to wake up. I found that he took too long so went to help. And my way worked."

Amarra sighed and laid down again. "Unfortunately."

"Do you always sleep this long?" wanted Mana to know.

"Yes. Except when I was in the army." Amarra glared at Atemu. "His Majesty didn't let us sleep out."

Atemu chuckled. "You chose to join the army yourself. So don't blame me for not letting you sleep as long as you wanted."

"Do your priests and councillors know this time that you're here to visit?"

"No." It was Mana was answered. "He escaped the Palace before everyone was awake and I was waiting at the stables for him because I knew he was going to see you again."

"And you forced him to take you with him."

Mana smiled cheerful. "Precisely!"

"Wow." Amarra looked at Atemu. "I hadn't expected you to be the kind of man that is easily forced to do something."

"I'm not," said Atemu with a small smile. "But Mana has her ways to persuade me to do what she wants or agree with her."

"Like?"

"Driving me crazy."

Amarra burst out in laughter when Mana shot up with an indignant look on her face. "Do not!" Atemu started to laugh too and Mana's face became annoyed. "You were messing with me."

Atemu gave her an innocent smile. "I wouldn't dare, Mana." But he gave Amarra a wink when she wasn't looking, making the redheaded woman laugh only more.

"So, what are we going to do today?" asked Mana, turning cheerfully to Amarra again with her legs crossed.

"Well, first I would like to get some more sleep –"

"Not happening. Do you know how high the sun is already on the sky?" protested Mana.

"– then eat some breakfast –"

"More like brunch."

"– then I need to go into town to help my mother and some weird ladies preparing younger girls to meet the match maker –"

"That's not necessarily."

"– and then there are my chores –"

"You have to do chores?"

"Mana, can you perhaps stop interrupting me?"

"That's just how she is," said Atemu, who was leaning with his arms over each other against the wall beside her window and who was watching them with an amused smile on his face.

Amarra turned to Mana again. "Yes, I've to do chores. Not everyone has the luxury to live in the Palace and have everything done for him or her. I do the chores my father would do if he hadn't been wounded in battle."

"Chores" Mana was looking like she was thinking about it. "I've never done chores before."

"Then today you've the chance to do," said Amarra. "If you want to have fun today then you will have to help my finish my chores."

Mana's smile became brightly. "Sounds like fun."

"Yeah... I wouldn't exactly call it that." But Mana had already bounced out of the room again to find out what chores there needed to be done. Amarra looked at Atemu. "Is she always like this?"

"Pretty much."

Amarra pushed the blanket of her and pulled her legs up and put her arms around them. "How do you survive that?"

"Let everything happen without trying to stop her and pretend it's all a bad dream where you will wake up from very soon."

Amarra laughed a little while resting her chin on her knees. "Well, that sounds very promising. And you've doing that for how long now?"

"For as long as I can remember. We grew up together."

"Explains the fact that she called you her oldest and closest friend." She gave him a curious look. "How did you two meet?"

"Pff. That's a long time ago. I don't really remember." He frowned a little. "I guess our friendship was doomed to happen. We were both not really allowed out of the Palace and we were the only two around the same age."

"You never were allowed to leave the Palace?" asked Amarra a little shocked.

"The curse of being the son of the Pharaoh and future Pharaoh of Egypt," answered Atemu, shrugging a little.

"Sounds horrible," pointed Amarra out.

"It was normal for me. I wasn't used to anything else." Amarra gave a little sceptic look. "But, if I must be honest –"

"I always want you to be honest with me."

He gave her a smile. "Then being honest, I don't remember how many times Mana and I sneaked out of the Palace or the many times that I wished to be allowed to play with the other kids outside the Palace walls."

"Hmm. Will you just look at that? You escaped the Palace as a child and now as a mighty Pharaoh. I'm in the presence of a little fugitive." Amarra gave him a playful smile. "Who would have thought that? You aren't such a saint after all."

Atemu laughed a little, looking down and shaking his head. "Whoever said I was?"

"What other big secrets do you have?"

"Maybe you will find out one day."

"Maybe."

Mana danced back into the room. "Come on. Your brunch is almost ready and served. You must hurry. You've a lot of chores and we don't have all day."

Amarra shook her head while getting up. "Mana, my breakfast is not going to be served. They gave up on that a long time ago. I've got to get it myself."

Mana gave her a confused look. "Out of the kitchens?"

Amarra nodded. "Let me guess. You've never been in the kitchens before too."

Atemu snorted. "The cooks would wish she had never been in the kitchens before. Their food wouldn't disappear so many times if she had never been in the kitchens before."

They walked into the dining area and Amarra gave Layla a hug from behind. "Morning, mama."

"Good morning, sweetheart. You slept well?"

"Until someone decided to jump on top of me and wake me up? Yeah, I slept great."

"Well, hurry and get something to eat before Kafele decides to stop cooking breakfast for the day," said Zahur.

Amarra turned to Mana and Atemu. "You two want something?"

Atemu shook his head but Mana started to bounce up and down again. "Absolutely! I'm starving!"

Atemu rolled his eyes. "You're always starving."

Mana stuck out her tongue at him and Amarra laughed a little. "Come along then. You can get something yourself."

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><p>Amarra and Atemu were staring at something. Shock, surprise and unbelief were written on both their faces.<p>

Amarra slowly raised a hand and pointed to the same thing they were staring at. "Is she actually having fun?"

"Huh-huh." They exchanged looks. "She has gone crazy. I'm certain about it this time."

"Huh."

Atemu shook his head in unbelief. "Mana who is enjoys doing chores. I thought I would never live to see this day."

Mana was helping Chigaru in the stables and was laughing and working like she had never had so much fun before.

"Maybe I should suggest that she helps the servants in the Palace too. That should keep her busy most of the day."

Amarra looked at him. "You think they would allow that?"

"Nope. But it won't hurt to try, will it?"

Amarra chuckled. "Well, you don't hear me complaining. My chores are done because she has done most of them. And I still have a lot of time left." She looked at him with a smile. "You should bring her along more often."

"Yeah, keep dreaming," said Atemu who gave her a smile. "I come here to visit to escape the chaos of the Palace. She just brings it along."

"Oh, come on," said Amarra who locked her arm around his. "She isn't that bad."

Atemu chuckled. "You just say that because she is doing your chores for you. And you haven't seen her yet when she is practising new spells."

Amarra gave him a weird look. "Spells?"

"She is a Magician. Mahad teaches her how to control her magic." Amarra looked at him again and he gave her a smile. "He is a friend and one of my Priests."

"Huh. So you've friendly Priests too?"

Atemu chuckled. "Most of them are friendly. You just caught them on a bad time."

"More like I got on their bad side."

"Aknadin isn't the most friendliest of them and is always very serious," explained Atemu while they walked away from the stables and into the gardens. "He was the one with the golden eye who talked to you. Rules mean everything to him. But he still has his heart on the right place."

"What about your other Priests? What about the small man? I believe Mana called him Shimon."

"He's one of my councillors. He is very sweet man. Very loyal too. He already served under my father. He takes a lot of things very serious too but always knows how to make the sphere a little brighter with a joke or a strange remark."

"And Isis is the only Priestess?"

Atemu nodded. "She is an amazing woman. I think it's quite safe to say that Mahad likes her."

"So we have Shimon, your councillor; the serious Aknadin, the creepy guy with the golden eye –" Atemu chuckled when she called him creepy. "– the sweet Isis, your only priestess; and Mahad, your friend and Mana's teacher. Who else is there?"

"Well, there is Shada. He is the one with the tattoo on his forehead."

"Oh, the bolt guy?"

Atemu chuckled again. "Yes. And then there is Seth. He was the one in blue."

Amarra frowned. "The one with the cold look in his eyes?"

"That be the one. And as last there is Karim."

"Hmm. Don't you find it difficult to remember all their names?"

"I grew up around them. They are practically family. You don't forget the names of your family either, do you?"

Amarra gave him a smile while they stopped on the small bridge and while she leaned on the railing. "Touche."

But Atemu didn't smile back. He was actually frowning a little. "Can I ask you something, Amarra?"

"Sure," said Amarra a little doubtful. "Whatever it is, you're looking very serious so what is it?"

"That woman who was with Anubis." Amarra's face paled. "Sacmis was her name, wasn't it? You knew her. You even apologized to me for her."

"I know her, not knew," said Amarra who walked off the bridge, to hide her incredible uncomfortable and even slightly scared face. "And I don't really want to talk about that."

"You don't trust me?"

She looked back at him and shook her head. "Of course I trust you. With my life." She sighed and glanced towards the temple. "That's not the reason."

"Then what is?"

For a view seconds he didn't get an answer but then finally she turned around at him and looked him in the eye with a look he had never seen before on her face: she looked grieving and completely lost.

"Sacmis and I go back. A long time." She walked back to him and hoisted herself on the railing. "A very long time."

"How long?" asked Atemu.

Amarra sighed again. "Almost nineteen years now."

Atemu frowned, trying to count back how old she would have been when she had met her for the first time. "But that means –"

"– that I met her when I was still a baby? Yes. I was two weeks old when I first met her. I don't remember that first meeting but she told me about it." Amarra looked down at the long dark blue skirt she was wearing. "And she enjoyed every single minute of it." She looked up at him again. "I was two weeks old when she killed my mother."

Atemu's face turned confused. "Your mother? But..."

"Not Layla. My birthmother. In case you hadn't guessed it yet, the Retenu's adopted me."

"So what happened?"

"Sacmis told me when I was seven years old. That was when she came back into my life. She told me that my birthmother had been pregnant of me but that I died a view weeks before I was supposed to be born. She had already lost my birthfather so she started begging the Gods and everything that was up there in the sky to save me. To give me back the breath of life."

"I guess they listened," said Atemu. "As you're here."

"Not the Gods," said Amarra, staring ahead. "Sacmis called it the Phoenix. A power flying through the universe searching for the right person to give its powers too. She answered my birthmother's call and laid herself down in my soul, giving me back the breath of life. She had warned my birthmother about the consequences that would likely follow but she just wanted me to be alive. She couldn't lose me too." Amarra shook her head, looking sad. "Turns out that wanting me to be alive was the one thing that got her killed."

Atemu looked confused again. "What do you mean?"

"Sacmis lives of human energy. When she touches a person, she sucks all the energy out of them, leaving nothing but an empty shell with a scared look in the eyes. You have seen her work." She saw that a shiver went through him when she said that, clearly he remembered the people they had found in the destroyed villages. "The ultimate energy to drain from a person's body, that's the power of the Phoenix. Yes, it had rested itself in souls before and all of them were killed by Sacmis," she explained when she saw that he wanted to ask something again. "That was what she tried to do when I was just two weeks old. She killed my birthmother and her new man and then she came for me."

"But you're still here."

"Something went wrong. She didn't understand what." Amarra let out a bitter laugh. "I told Anubis that I couldn't be killed when I was facing him and Sacmis on the roof. I don't know if that is true. I just said it to buy myself some time and to make him turn against her." She shook her head. "But maybe there is a slight truth in it. She has tried so many times to kill me. Honestly, I should have been already dead at least seventh times. Yet I'm still here." She glanced over the water with a bitter look in her eyes. "For already three times she has drained me of all my life energy, she has drowned me, she has stabbed me, she has let me bleed to death, she has strangled me and she has burned me alive. And I'm still here." She looked at Atemu. "Freaked out yet?"

Much to her surprise Atemu shook his head. "Trust me, you need to come with something better to get me to freak out. I've seen a lot of magical and strange things. I'm used to something."

Amarra gave a small infidel laugh. "You really are the oddest man on earth."

"That's because a lot of odds things have happened in my life and still happen." He looked slightly curious at her. "How did the Retenu's find you?"

"Two days after Sacmis murdered my birthmother and her new man, their carriage passed a small house somewhere in the desert and they heard a baby cry. When they entered the house they found the dead bodies of a man and a woman and they found a crying baby in her crib. That was me. They took me with them and have raised me as their own ever since." She shook her head. "But even though I was raised as a lady, I stay just the mere daughter of an unworthy peasant. No noble blood flows through my veins so I probably shouldn't even be in your company. And even though my parents tried to raise me as normal as possible, I can never be normal. Not with the way I look or with what I can do."

"I disagree. With both."

Amarra turned to him and raised an eyebrow. "Do you now?"

"It doesn't matter what kind of blood flows through your veins. After everything that you did and after everything you were willing to sacrifice just to protect someone you love, I think it should be me who should wonder if I'm worthy to be in your company, daughter of a peasant or not." Amarra shook her head in unbelief. "And about the normal part? You might not never be normal but personally I think not normal people are much more interesting and fun than normal people."

Amarra let out a small laugh. "You're crazy."

Atemu thought about that for a moment before mentioning a little bit with his fingers, making her burst out in laughter. Atemu smiled pleased. "Good. You're laughing again. I hate seeing you so bitter. It doesn't suite you."

Amarra wanted to say something against that but the fact that a bunch of chickens ran past them, clucking loudly, stopped her. "Those crazy chickens," said Amarra who shook her head. "What on earth has gotten into th..." She cut herself off when a flash of colour shot past them. "Not again."

Atemu looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Isn't that the same bird as that helped you when you were fighting Anubis?"

"Oh, how many more times do I have to tell her this?" Amarra hurried of the bridge. "Phoenix! Stop chasing the chickens! Just for once!" Phoenix let out a cheerful sound and dodged towards the chickens, making them cluck even louder. "You will give them a heart attack someday, you stupid bird!"

Atemu chuckled. "I assume that that's your bird?"

Amarra sighed. "Yeah." She walked back towards him. "She is kind of my guardian. She has always been around. She always made me laugh as a small girl, always went wherever I went. She still does. She comforts me when I'm sad, cheers me up when I feel down, helps me when I need help. When Sacmis started to come around, she always attacked her and chased her away. But lately I can take care of her myself. So she just sticks around to help me. But most of the times she has nothing to do and she likes to go after the chickens and scare them. As you already have realised by now." She leaned over the railing. "Leave the chickens alone and come here, you crazy bird, or I'm going to pull all your feathers out!"

Phoenix let out a cheerful sound again but did what she said nonetheless and flew towards Amarra. She landed on her shoulder and pushed her head against her cheek.

"Yeah, yeah. I love you too. Just not when you're chasing the chickens. Go do something else that doesn't involve trying to give the chickens heart attacks."

Phoenix let out a cheerful sound again and flew up. Atemu smiled. "It's almost as if you two are one."

"I guess we are. She always knows how I feel. Most of the time, how she acts reflects how I feel. She drives me crazy most of the times but she means a lot to me." Amarra smiled and stared over the water. "She is the one thing I can always rely on, who I always tell everything and who sticks with me no matter what I do or say. She always has and always will be around to protect me and be there for me. I wouldn't know who I would be without her. I guess in ten years or so it will still be just me and her." She gave Atemu a small and slightly playful smile. "Remember? No marriage for me."

Atemu rolled with his eyes. "You still believe that?"

"You know how I think about marriage," was Amarra's answer while she looked over the water again. "I told you that only a crazy, idiot would ever marry someone who looks like me. And you know the other reason now too. No sane man would ever want to marry a woman who possesses the powers that I do."

"I would." Amarra's head shot towards him, her eyes widened and her lips were parted a little. She was shocked by that. "But of course I'm not a sane man. According to you I'm crazy and odd."

"You've just proven my point yet again."

Atemu ignored her remark and the look of unbelief in her look. "Back at the camp you asked me if I would marry you if you were a woman. Well, now you have your answer."

Amarra shook her head and stared towards a complete other direction. She was trying to avoid to look at him. "You don't mean that."

His hands landed on her shoulders and turned her around and then embraced her face, making sure she couldn't look away from him. "I mean every single word of it, Amarra. There're people in this world that would take you just the way you're. And I'm one of them. You just don't want to see it."

She opened her mouth to say something but couldn't get any words out so she closed it again. This was rather unexpected or better said: this was blowing her mind away.

"Answer me this: why do you think I keep coming back here, Amarra?" Again she couldn't get any words over her lips so she just stared at him. He smiled slightly. "Let me give you a clue."

He closed the distance between them and for a view seconds Amarra's eyes widened when his lips touched hers. Who would have thought a Pharaoh would be so bolt? Then she closed her eyes and leaned into him while grabbing softly hold of the hands that were still embracing her face.

The kiss lasted a view more seconds but then he removed his lips from her. Their eyes met and he smiled slightly. "You know it now?"

"Yeah," whispered Amarra, sounding and feeling a little out of breath. "Yeah, I think I'm starting to get it."


	17. Written in the Stars

**Hey, hey!**

**Here it is. The last chapter of this story. I'm kind off sad it's ending now. The only thing that will follow now is the epilogue. **

**Thank you for all the reviews. I loved them, like always. And thank you for reading so loyal. It warms my heart.**

**Question! I know I based the prologue on the prologue of Tangled. In Tangled it's Flynn who does the prologue and the epilogue. Who do you think has done the prologue and will do the epilogue in my story?**

**Now, I promised you guys a sequel. And a sequl will come. But I only finished the prologue and I'm very busy with the first two chapters but keep changing them and keep ending up with a writer's block.**

**So, I can't promise an exact publish date. Unfortunately. But I do promise that in the summer vacation (oh my God! That's already in two weeks!) I will work very hard on it.**

**Anyway, on with the story. You guys are going to scream somewhere in this chapter. Mark my words. **

**Let me know what you thought about it and what you would really like to see in the sequel (it will help me get some ideas and perhaps publish it earlier then expected). Little give away: the sequel will take place in the future with Yugi and the gang.**

**Oh, this author's note is alreayd too long. I won't kepe you guys up any longer.**

**Please review and ejoy.**

**XxX Emmetje**

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><p>A Girl in the Egyptian Army<p>

Chapter 16

Written in the Stars

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><p>Mushu was pacing around over the stone bench under the blossom tree. Phoenix was sitting in that same tree and Cri-kee was sitting on the exact same bench and was watching him pace around.<p>

Amarra, who had just woken up, was lifting her long brown skirt with one hand while hurrying towards them. "Morning, guys. I don't have very long to talk because Femi wants me to come with her to town and help her buy some new provisions and she wants to make a new dress for me so I need to pick some fabrics for it. And I overslept again and I still need to do my chores." She frowned when she saw Mushu pace around. "What's wrong, Mushu?"

"What's wrong? _**What**_ is _**wrong**_?" Mushu stopped pacing around for a moment and looked at her. "I will tell **what** **is** **wrong**. Something is about to happen. Something big!"

Amarra rolled her eyes. "Not you too. You sound just like my mom and my grandmother. They are talking about the exact same things. They keep talking about that there is something written in the stars."

"Exactly!" yelled Mushu out, making Amarra and Cri-kee, jump a little on their spots. "Finally I've found people that understand!" He turned towards the redheaded girl. "And you know what is?"

"Marriage?"

"Precisely!"

Amarra laughed a little and sat down on the bench, resting one hand on it and leaning a little towards the small dragon. "Mushu, this is ridiculous. You know I don't believe in those kind of things."

Mushu waved his claw at her. "It's written in the stars that a very important marriage is nearing, girl. And what marriage could possibly be so important that it is written in the stars? Your marriage of course!"

Amarra laughed a little. "Why should my marriage be written in the stars?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because you can do all those crazy things like creating an avalanche or throw things away without touching them. I just know it. It's your marriage that is written in the stars."

Amarra laughed again, clearly not believing anything of it. "And who should I get married to?"

Mushu put his arms over each other and gave her a sceptic look. "That's the most stupid thing I've heard coming out of your mouth until this far." He grabbed hold of the brown sleeves top she was wearing, glaring at her with his head close to her face. "Who do you think?"

Amarra rolled her eyes and pulled him off her and put him again on the bench. "Stop being so ridiculous, Mushu. You and I both know Atemu is not going to show up today or tomorrow or even next week. He is very busy and you know what he said last time he was here."

"Yeah, yeah," said Mushu, waving it off with a hand gesture. "That even thought it pained him he could not visit for an entire month because there were a lot of problems he had to deal with. It is rubbish! The guy is head over heels for you! No way that he is going to stay away for an entire month!"

Amarra shook her head. "Mushu, he is and stays the Pharaoh. He has a country to rule."

"What? You're saying you come second?"

"That's exactly what I am saying."

"Fool yourself."

"And we only know each other for two months."

"Ah, that's not true! You two already know each other for seven entire months."

"He knows me as a woman for two months. So keep on dreaming." Amarra placed a kiss on top of Mushu's head. "There is no way he is going to show up here today and propose me. We are not that far in a relationship yet."

Mushu snorted. "Oh, Mushu, you've it all wrong. We are not that far in a relationship yet. No way he is going to propose to me even though every time he is here, he can't keep his eyes of me and even though every time we are alone, he can't resist kissing me."

Amarra gave him an annoyed look when he said that with a very high and feminine tone. "Oh, real mature, Mushu. And we haven't kissed yet."

"No? What were you two doing then last time he was here and when you two were walking in the gardens? Because to me it looked like you two kissing. Of course he could only be keeping your lips warm with his."

Amarra's cheeks flushed red. "Were… Were you spying on us?"

Mushu opened his mouth but closed it again. "No, I was making sure my girl was safe."

"Oh yes, because I would be in so much danger while being in the presence of the Pharaoh."

"Hey, someone needs to protect you from him!"

"I don't need to be protected from him, Mushu." She gave him another kiss on his head. "Now try to behave while I'm gone." She stood up again and started to make her way away from them again. "And stop worrying."

"I will stop worrying the moment you start worrying! Something big is going to happen today and you know it!"

Amarra acted like she hadn't heard him and waved. "Bye, guys. I won't be long. Don't kill each other."

Mushu snorted and put his arms over each other again while they watched her hurry towards the courtyard to meet Femi and go to town to do some shopping. "I can't believe she doesn't believe me. When did I ever lie to her?" Both Cri-kee and Phoenix gave him a sceptical look and he laughed a little nervously. "Yeah, good point."

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><p>That afternoon, after Amarra and Femi had gotten back, Tefnut and Zahur were sitting at the dining table. Zahur was drinking his tea while Tefnut was going through some scrolls were stars were painted on. Layla was there too and was pacing around. She had been doing so for already quite some time and it was starting to annoy Tefnut.<p>

"Relax, child. The stars have predicted it. The Pharaoh will arrive and propose to Amarra before the sun sets. There is still time to get into the pole."

Layla stopped and turned towards her mother-in-law. "Mother, I can't believe you are actually gambling on your granddaughter's happiness."

Tefnut snorted. "I'm certain of her happiness. Have you seen how much she has changed ever since the Pharaoh started to visit? She is her happy and care free self again. She enjoys life and the love that it brings her. So why shouldn't I be able to profit from it?"

Femi rushed through the doors and stopped in front of them with an anxious look on her face. "Is he here yet?" The three shook their heads and Femi sighed in defeat. "Still not? Maybe she was right and the stars are wrong."

"The stars are never wrong," said Tefnut. "He will come. But blimey. You're as anxious as Layla is."

"Everyone is anxious," said Femi excited. "Amarra is finally getting married. Oh, I've a great design for her wedding dress in my head."

"Shall we wait until she is actually engaged before we start planning the wedding?" asked Zahur.

A knock on the door made them all jump a little and Layla shrieked excitedly before hurrying to the door and opening it. Her face fell a little when she saw that it was not the Pharaoh who had been knocking. But she quickly recovered herself and gave the person who was sanding in front of the door a smile. "Well, hello, Mesi. What can I do for you?"

Mesi was one of the children who lived in one of the houses close to theirs. She was also one of the girls that admired Amarra. "Good day, Lady Retenu. Is Amarra home?"

"No, she is out in the field. She had to finish her chores."

Tefnut laughed a little. "Yeah, doing her chores. More like practising those techniques the Pharaoh learned her."

"Mother," said Layla with a stern look. "Amarra knows that there is no point in practising that anymore."

"Well, she is all too eager to learn more of them. And the Pharaoh is all too eager to teach them to her."

Layla rolled her eyes before turning to Mesi again with a smile. "Really, she is doing her chores."

"Oh, I will go help her," said Mesi with a delighted smile and she hurried up but stopped halfway and came back, bowed for Layla and hurried off again.

Layla smiled while closing the doors again. "The children all love Amarra."

"And why not?" snickered Tefnut. "She is strong, she is brave, she is beautiful and she is going to marry the Pharaoh and become their Queen." She laughed again. "And they want to be just like her."

"That's something that worries me," said Zahur.

"What worries me is that he still isn't here," said Layla, who had started to pace around again.

"You do think he will come, right? That it isn't like Amarra is saying and that it is all rubbish?" asked Femi again, just in case, while she sat down at the table.

"No, he will come," said Tefnut, grinning like a maniac at the young servant. "And there is still time for you to join the pole."

Meanwhile in the fields, Amarra had almost finished her chores and was busy with practising the techniques she had learned from Atemu. Even though it was unladylike, he taught her everything he knew and with a great passion. And she just wanted to learn everything he was able to teach her.

Cri-kee and Emu were with her in the fields and were watching her train, Cri-kee was even copying her moves. She used the rake she had taken with her to do her chores as her weapon, just like they had used poles as their weapons during their training. And Cri-kee was using a very small twig as his weapon.

"Haya! Haya!" She did a backflip and after that she did a cartwheel. "Haya!" She pointed the rake up and in front of her.

"Haya!"

"Huh?" Someone who also said 'Haya' startled Amarra a little, making her drop her rake, and she looked surprised around. What she there saw made her crook an eyebrow because ten of the many girls that lived in the neighbourhood had gathered behind her in the open piece of field and were trying to copy her movements. Some also had rakes with them, others had nothing.

One of the girls lost her balance and fell on the ground. Pushing a view streaks of her hair that were hanging in front of her face back, she smiled at them. "Haya. What's going here, girls?"

"We want to be just like you, Amarra," said Mesi, who started to copy a view of the moves she had seen Amarra do. "Haya, ya, haya!" But when she tried to do a cartwheel, she fell on the ground, making the other girls laugh.

Amarra hid a laugh behind her hand while pulling on the green top she was wearing so it was fitting her the way it should. She was actually wearing one of the set of clothes she had that weren't brown: a green sleeveless top that went over one of her shoulders and a black pair of wide pants. She wasn't wearing any shoes and her hair was braided and tied in a knot.

"I get it that you girls want to learn something but I'm still learning myself. I haven't mastered these techniques yet."

"Please," started Mesi to beg, followed by all the other girls. "Please, please, please."

Amarra laughed a little uncomfortable. "Okay, okay," she said while trying to calm then down. "I guess I can show you a view moves."

"Amarra is going to teach us how to kick butt," cheered Mesi. The other girls cheered too.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," laughed Amarra. "Calm down. It might look easy when I do it but believe me, it's a lot harder to do yourself. And you have to use them to defend yourself, not to beat the crap out of someone. That's something that we're going to leave to the soldiers."

"And the Pharaoh," giggled one of the girls, making a giggle storm come over the entire group of girls.

Amarra shook her head with a smile. "_Thanks a lot, Atemu._" She clapped into her hands, getting their attention. "Okay, that's enough. So we have agreed that we leave the real fighting to the army and we will only use our moves to defend ourselves, yes?" The girls nodded. "Good. Now, I know it might sound a little weird but we are going to start by being gentle."

"Wait, I thought we're going to learn how to fight," said another girl.

"We're. But it's very important to be gentle and though at the same time."

"How can you be though and gentle?"

"Yeah," agreed Mesi. "I want to be though, not gentle."

"Yeah!" cheered everyone else.

"I know it sounds a little strange but the world is full with opposites and so are you. To be a good warrior you must find the opposites in yourself and bring them in balance." She got confused looks and signed. "Maybe this will help. There is no earth without a sky, there is no day without a night, there is no sound without silence and –" She placed her hands over Mesi's eyes. "– there is no dark without light." She removed her hands and showed Mesi the light again, making the girl giggle. "You see, you can't have one without having another." She made a gesture towards the young twins that were also in the group. "You need both."

The girls looked at each other before gasping happily and locking hands. "Another example: there is no winter without summer, there is no autumn without spring and there will not be a moon without a sun."

She threw the rake up with her food and made handspring and caught the rake again. "That's what the first lesson is all about."

"Wow!" gasped the girls. Mesi quickly ran away but came back soon enough with more rakes and a view branches and poles and gave every girl one.

Amarra gave them the first move by throwing a view punches into the air. "You must be hard like a rock and you must stand firm like an oak. Nothing should be able to get you out of balance." The girls gasped again when she kept her balance while standing on one feet and holding her other leg high up in the sky. "You must be quick, like the movement of my blade." She took a swing at the air with her rake and it came so unexpected that a view girls jumped a little. "And you must think fast and be unafraid." The girls were gawking now. "Well, go on. You girls give it a try."

They did so, throwing punches into the air and holding their poles, branches and rakes like she had held hers. But it didn't went quite so well with all of them so Amarra helped them out. A view of them just needed a little more space, others just held their 'weapons' in the wrong way. Most of them just had their hands to close to each other.

"Okay, Amarra," said Mesi while taking a pose. "I'm ready."

Amarra laughed a little. "Is that so?" She gave the girl a small push with her finger, making her fall on the ground. "You're still out of balance. You're not there yet."

"What are the opposites?" asked the smallest of the girls.

"Well, you tell me," said Amarra, deciding to test their knowledge. "What is the opposite of hard?"

"Soft," was the doubtful answer of a view girls.

"And what is the opposite of firm?"

The girls started to be more secure now and more girls answered the question this time. "Loose."

"And fast?"

"Slow!" everyone cheered.

"There you have it," smiled their teacher. "You must be soft like a cloud. You must be loose like the grain that moves with the wind. You must creep slow and most of all, you must always know –" The smallest girl pressed her hands against her eyes when Cri-kee jumped on her head and the girl shivered in fear, making Amarra walk towards her and placing a hand on her shoulder. "– that it is okay to be afraid."

The girl removed her hands slowly and Amarra held out a finger, making Cri-kee jump on there. The girl slowly held out a hand and petted the cricket on its head.

"There you go."

The girls once again tried what she had told them: to walk and move slowly and gracefully and they talked to each other about their fears. A view of them even left the field for a view moments to find what scared them and to face them.

And while they did that, Amarra quickly finished her last chores on the field. She didn't have much time to do so because before she knew it, the girls were back again and showing how they could be soft, loose and slow and at the same time how they could be hard, firm and quick.

After she had witnessed their examples, she laughed. "Well, good work. You girls are not there yet but you have all begun and with a lot of practise, you will be able to get there. Just give it time."

A horse that neighed made them all look up and the girls squealed. "It's the Pharaoh!"

While they dropped everything they had in their hands and ran off to meet him, Amarra crooked another eyebrow, wondering what he was doing here when he had said he probably wouldn't visit for a whole month, maybe even longer.

Shaking her head, she walked after the girls to meet him. "Well, hello there, Your Highness. Might I ask what brings you to our small honourable neighbourhood?"

Atemu smiled when he saw her and took a step towards her, making sure they were face to face. "Can't I try to escape the Palace every once in a while to meet a beautiful woman?"

Amarra smiled back. "You don't hear me complaining, do you?"

"No, I don't," he whispered with a smile before pressing his lips against hers. Amarra smiled in their kiss and embraced his face with her hands while he placed a hand at the back of her head.

A giggle choir made them break apart and Atemu looked at the girls that were standing around them and were giggling like maniacs.

"Uh… Amarra?" he asked slowly.

"Yes?"

"Is there somewhere we can talk? Private?"

"Oh, don't mind us," giggled Mesi.

"Okay, girls. That's enough training for today. Time to be like the river and flow home," said Amarra. "And give us some privacy."

"Oh!" pouted the girls at same time but they did what she said anyway. "Bye, Pharaoh."

"Bye, girls," smiled Atemu. When they were out of ears reach he asked a little doubtful: "You aren't really training them, are you?"

"They forced me," smiled Amarra, placing her hand into his. "Trust me, don't ever be surprised when your new army turns out to exist out only women disguised as men."

He laughed and placed a kiss on the side of her head. "I won't be."

"So you managed to escape the Palace again, huh?"

"Yep. I needed a break from all the problems. Besides, Mana learned a new spell and is practising it. She burned half the stable blocks down."

"Yeah, that sounds like Mana." She gave him a curious look. "So what did you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Well…" He stopped again when they heard giggles coming from out of the grain fields. "You know, I think your fields are bothered a plague called eavesdroppers."

Amarra smiled and pulled him with her. "Let's go back to the house. I need to change in something else anyway."

When they were back at the house, Amarra left Atemu alone for a view minutes to change back into the outfit she had also worn that morning: a brown sleeveless top that was tied around her neck and at her back and a long brown skirt with at the bottom of it a sand coloured line with golden flowers on it.

Atemu whistled after she had changed and joined him again, making her lips pull in a wide smile. "Don't tell me you still have to get used to me in a dress."

"I do. But I start liking it more and more with the day."

Amarra rolled her eyes. "Very funny." Atemu just smiled and took her hand into his again and guided her away from the house and into the gardens. "Well, you're being strangely cryptic while you guide me silently through the gardens. What is it that you're not telling me?"

He smiled slightly. "If I tell you it won't be a surprise."

"I don't really like surprises."

"Says the girl who gave me the biggest surprise in my entire life by joining my army disguised as a man."

"You're not going to let me forget that any time soon, are you?" asked Amarra with a slightly annoyed look on her face.

Atemu who had got to know her quite well in the two months that had passed since his first visit, smiled pleased when he figured he had annoyed her a little. "Nope."

"Why is it that you like to annoy me so much?" asked Amarra while sitting down on the bench under the blossom tree, that they had reached. "Somehow you always seem to try to get me a little annoyed."

"Because you're probably the only woman I know that will bite when I try to annoy you. For others it is not done to show that they're annoyed. Especially not to me."

He sat down beside her and she gave him a slightly suspicious look. "Okay. Spit it out. What are you doing here when you said that you wouldn't be able to visit for a while?"

He scratched the back of his neck uncomfortable. "Maybe things has calmed down."

"Gossip travels far, Atemu," said Amarra, not buying it. "And it says that you've problems with the neighbour lands. Meaning that you shouldn't have time to visit me. And that's just fine with me. You really don't need to try to visit me..."

"Amarra," interrupted Atemu, taking her hand softly into his. "You still think too low of yourself. I might be Pharaoh and I might have the job to rule and protect an entire country but there is nothing more important to me than you."

Amarra smiled and rested her head on his shoulder, making him put his arm around her shoulders and resting his own head on top of hers. "I still find it suspicious but I'm glad you're here, Atemu."

"You and I both." Amarra closed her eyes and just enjoyed the moment. His fingers were making small circles on the skin of the hand he was still holding. "You know, the first time I saw you I knew there was something off and strange about you. I just couldn't put my finger on it."

Amarra chuckled slightly. "That must have bothered you, not being able to figure out what was off about one clueless little soldier."

"Oh, you have no idea," laughed Atemu. "Part of the reason why I acted so harsh towards you."

"I thought I had completely done it. That you hated me and couldn't stand the sight of me. And truthfully, I had expect you to send me away much earlier."

"Hakizimana wanted me to already send you away after the first day of training. He wasn't very positive about the idea of turning peasants into soldiers." Amarra smiled when she felt how he pressed his lips against her forehead. "I'm glad that I didn't send you away so early. And that when I did send you away, you didn't listen."

"I would have listened if you had asked me after the first day. I was bruised and desperate and just wanted to go home." She smiled and opened her eyes and glanced up towards him. "I mean, I had practically the whole camp as my enemy."

"I wasn't making things easier for you. Or made you feel any better. It was just..." He sighed and stared for a view moments ahead before looking at her again. "There was something that pulled me towards you. There was something about you that I found attractive. And that was freaking me out a little because I still thought you were a man." He smiled warmly. "I guess my heart recognized you the moment I first laid eyes on you. My eyes and sanity just didn't." He stroke her cheek with a loving look in his eyes. "And now I can't imagine what life would be without you. Which brings me to the next subject."

Amarra's mouth dropped open and she felt herself go numb when he stood up and kneeled down on one knee in front of her, holding her hands tightly into his. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening.

"Amarra Retenu, I love you with all of my heart and every minute I'm not with you is a torture. I want you at my side for the rest of my life and wake up at your face every morning. Would you give me the great honour to become my wife?"

Amarra's whole face lighted up and she was grinning so widely that it hurt. And she felt so happy that it was also feeling like she was going to explode.

"Yes!" she half screamed while attacking him by embracing him as tightly as she could, making him fall on his back. She heard him laughing while his arms circled around her waist. She loosed her grip a little and met his eyes. "Yes. A thousand times yes."

"Oh, you just made me the happiest man alive," said Atemu before kissing her.

Zahur, Layla and Tefnut who had been watching them from a distance, were also just as happy. And Femi, who had also spied on them, was now running through the house and announcing the good news.

"She said yes!" cheered Tefnut. "Now I know I'm defiantly going to sign myself up for the next war. I want one too!"

Layla sniffed and rubbed a view tears out of her eyes. "I can't believe my little girl is going to become queen."

Zahur comforted her by placing an arm around her shoulders and taking one of her hands into his. He had tears of happiness in his own eyes too. "When one's heart is overfilled with joy some may spill from the eye."

"You may say that again!" cheered Tefnut while taking out the gold that had been placed in the bet. "I win the pot!"

"Actually," came Zahur in between. "You bet that he would propose before sundown. I bet he proposed before noon."

Tefnut's face fell and Layla looked confused at her husband. "But you don't gamble."

"Betting against my mother is not gambling," corrected Zahur her while holding his hand out to get the gold from Tefnut. "It's an investment."

Tefnut growled slightly but handed him the gold anyway.


	18. Epilogue

**Hello there, everyone.**

**The finally piece of this story is finally there.**

**This is the last chapter or rather said, the epilogue.**

**I really enjoyed writing this and I hope you guys all enjoyed reading it.**

**Like promised, I will make a sequel and I will work none stop on it during the summer break.**

**I already told you guys that it will take place in the future with Yugi and the gang. But every now and then there will be a chapter that tells you more about what happened after written in the stars and how Amarra's and Atemu's relationship will go on.**

**During those moments you will learn more about Sacmis and even more about the history that she has with Amarra. You will also follow the storyline of how Amarra tries to get control over her powers with the help of (you probably already guessed it) Mana and Mahad. And like Dontgotaclue88 also mentioned, how she will struggle with becoming queen.**

**In the chapters that will play in the future you will find out how Atemu is dealing with his death, Amarra's death and the fact that he is in a new time line. You will also find out why Sacmis wasn't able to kill Amarra when she was just a baby.**

**Mushu's history and bloopers along with Phoenix' history and the full Legend of the Phoenix will also be told and I promise that Mana will make her appearance quite often. **

**Why I am telling you guys all of this? **

**Simple. Those are the things that you guys are probably still wondering about. I promised I will write a sequel but after that it will end. At the end of the sequel I will not write more Amarra and Atemu stuff, apart from a view one shots maybe. Why that is? It's not that I don't like them but I don't want to keep writing over them. At some point it is enough and I've drawn the line with two stories.**

**With that cleared up I want to ask you guys to tell me if there is anything you have questions about, things I probably have forgotten about and that you would really like to be cleared. I would appreciate it if you guys would tell me that. I don't like ending a story while there're so many questions left.**

**Aqua girl 007: I don't know yet if I'll make stories in which Atemu is paired up with someone else. But I like ManaxAtemu, SetoxKisara, IsisxMahad a lot too so I think I'll make a short story or a one shot somewhere in the future. A ManaxAtemu one shot will defiantly come. Something you can look forward too.**

**Enough is enough. I won't keep you guys up. Enjoy the very short epilogue and I hope I will hear from you guys again in the reviews the sequel will get.**

**XxX Emmetje**

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><p>A Girl in the Egyptian Army<p>

Epilogue

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><p>Well, you can imagine what happened next.<p>

Three months after Anubis was defeated, whole Egypt was celebrating the fact that their King was getting married to the love of his life and none other then their own hero, Amarra Retenu.

The party lasted an entire week and honestly, I don't remember most of it. They have some good liquor in the Palace.

Atemu and Amarra helped their people to rebuilt all the villages and cities that Anubis had destroyed personally and they made sure that all the people that were murdered by his and Sacmis' hand, that they got an honourable funeral.

And with the help of Phoenix, Amarra's large and terrifying bird, the evil, crime and the wars that had terrorized Egypt for already years, disappeared almost within the night.

Thieves crawled back into their holes, the large crime lords were arrested and put away (among them was Thief King Bakura) and with Amarra at his side, Atemu created new and good relationships with the kings of their neighbour countries.

So it was bye bye war and hello peace.

Anubis, who turned out to be not as dead as people at first thought he had been, came back one last time but was finally killed by Atemu with some weird kind of magic dagger and he was buried far away and with all kind of spells to prevent him from returning ever again.

As for Sacmis, she kept coming back but got in the end finally defeated by Amarra and locked up in some very protected prison, also somewhere far far away.

At last Amarra had found herself a reflection that showed her who she truly was inside and she found a man who accepted and loved just the way she was. And she was a Queen worth waiting for, so everyone soon found out, including Atemu's councillors and Priests (several of them hadn't exactly been happy about their marriage at first).

She was loved by all and led the empire with all the grace, wisdom, love and bravery that was expected from a Queen and she even did with a lot more.

As for Cri-kee, he moved with Amarra to the Palace. Just like Kahi (stupid cow).

And Amarra's parents and her grandmother moved towards Luxor and into one of the noble houses there, so they would be closer to their daughter.

They left the farm to their beloved servants, who all hooked up together. Ati and Kafele got married, Monifa and Sinuhe got married too and last I heard Femi and Chigaru were madly in love with each other and were expecting a child. Cliché huh?

Chike, Yafeu and Luzige, they find the girls of their dreams: the girls worth fighting for. And they became three guards of the Palace, so they saw Atemu and Amarra very often.

And the matchmaker? Well, she lost her job. People finally figured out that she was nothing but a mean woman and after Amarra ended up marrying the Pharaoh while she had said she would never marry anyone, except a blind, brainless idiot, they realised she was nothing more but a fraud.

And as for me, I first moved with the ancestors and the other guardians to the new temple of the new Retenu house but that just wasn't quite big enough for me. So I moved to the Palace to stay with my sweet girl.

And I know what the big question is. Are we all going to live happily ever after? No, we are going to live terrible lives. Atemu is going to become the abusive kind of husband and…

Mushu!

Alright, alright. He isn't going to get abusive and we are all going to live happily ever after. Happy?

You know I am, Mushu.

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><p><strong>Please read the author's note at the top and review!<strong>


	19. Author's Note

Hello my dear readers,

I imagine you will be very surprised to see that I updated this story, as I've already finished it. That's true but I recently started to rewrite it and I wanted to give you all the heads-up.

I'm not sure whether I'm keeping this posted and publish a rewrite or remove this and start over. I will figure it out but a rewrite will happen.

It's been three years since I finished this, four years since I started writing it. I reread it, like I did with most by stories, and the storyline, the errors and small mistakes, they just really annoyed me. Further I realised my story "A Girl in the Egyptian Army" just wasn't a story on its own but an exact copy of Mulan with just a few changes. All the reviewers that pointed that out, I cannot tell you how right you were.

The rewrite will still follow Amarra Retenu and she will still join the army disguised as a man, elements of Mulan will still make an appearance and I will honour the story that inspired me by keeping some names in it but it will no longer be a direct copy.

I read some more about Ancient Egypt, what it looked like and what the customs at that time were and I incorporated them more into the story. I also created and added quite a few new characters, made some changes and added some more backstory.

A lot of things were taken out, a lot of things were added, and where the romance between Atem and Amarra quickly bloomed from the start, in the rewritten version it will be more slow burn. Also, the amount of chapters will grow and I will write more about Amarra's time at the camp and how she struggles there.

The end of the rewritten story will be a cliff hanger of the sorts and will directly continue – and therefore have a direct connection with – the sequel "Lost and Never To Be Found". This isn't the case yet in this story and that's because when I finished the first version of "A Girl in the Egyptian Army", I wasn't sure I was going to do a sequel and now I am.

The sequel will also have an author's note as I have a rather different storyline in mind than the one I am now following. It is most likely I will remove the sequel completely from for the time being, as it will not follow the same storyline anymore as the prequel.

That's all for the moment. I think I will publish the prologue and the first chapter soon but I'm not making any promises yet. Just keep an eye out for any rewritten versions on my profile or for an update on this story, press the follow button. If this version will remain where it is, I will probably let everyone know with a new update that the new story is up.

Until the rewritten version!

Lots of love, Emmetje

Ps. If you have any questions, you can either send me a message or leave a review. If you have an account I will message you back with the answer. If you don't have an account, I will answer your question probably by putting up another author's note with your review in it and the answer under it.


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